Tag Archives: John Adams

First Principles: Our Obligation To America Ends At Our Death

Posted on February 14, 2018 by alohapromisesforever

“Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives.” —John Adams (1808) Forever faithful to this principle, I proudly continue to serve my country even in a civilian status. This is the way of patriots. This is my … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Country, Duty, First Principles, John Adams, Obligation, Patriotism | Leave a comment

First Principles: Virtue Is the Foundation of A Free Constitution

Posted on February 3, 2018 by alohapromisesforever

“The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue.” – John Adams (1776) A person seems to keep wanting me to say something more than the founders of our republic said. The choice posed to me is am I … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Constitution, First Principles, Foundation, Freedom, John Adams, Private Virtue, Public Virtue, Purity, Republic, Virtue | Leave a comment

First Principles: Our Government Is For the Common Good of Its Citizens and Not Just one Class or Group

Posted on January 22, 2018 by alohapromisesforever

“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Common Good, First Principles, Government, John Adams, Private Interests, Reformation, The People | Leave a comment

First Principles: A Nation Should Promote the Minds and Morals of Its Children

Posted on January 20, 2018 by alohapromisesforever

“It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Activity, Courage, Dissertation On the Canon and Feudal Law, Education, Enouragement, Excellence, First Principles, Industry, John Adams, Justice, Mental Elevation, Virtues | Leave a comment

First Principles: Experiments In Government Should Be Based On Honesty

Posted on January 6, 2018 by alohapromisesforever

“This I hope will be the age of experiments in government, and that their basis will be founded in principles of honesty, not of mere force.” — Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, 1796 What it should never be besides … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged First Principles, Force, Government, Honestly, John Adams, Political Theory, Reformation, Thomas Jefferson | Leave a comment

First Principles: Children Should Be Educated In The Principles of Freedom

Posted on January 2, 2018 by alohapromisesforever

“Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.” –John Adams They aren’t any more. That’s why so many problems are festering until they reach the surface. So may of these are based on sheer ignorance of what … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Children, Education, First Principles, Freedom, John Adams, Principles, Trained | Leave a comment

First Principles: A Government Formed On Virtue Leads To the Greatest Happiness

Posted on November 26, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“If there is a form of government, then, whose principle and foundation is virtue, will not every sober man acknowledge it better calculated to promote the general happiness than any other form?” — John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776 Thoughts … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged First Principles, Foundation, General Happiness, Government, John Adams, Liberty, Thoughts On Government, Virtue | Leave a comment

First Principles: Trust No Living Man With the Power to Endanger Liberty

Posted on October 30, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” – John Adams, in an Oration at Braintree (Spring, 1772) … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Braintree, Danger, First Principles, Government, John Adams, Liberty, Men, Trust | Leave a comment

First Principles: Moral Relativism Is A Quagmire of Moral Confusion

Posted on October 25, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“If the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling the differences between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of mankind apply than to the sense of this difference?” –John … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles, Uncategorized | Tagged Ethics, First Principles, John Adams, Moral Relativism, Morality, Sophistry, Truth | Leave a comment

First Principles: Morality Rests In the Family

Posted on October 22, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“The foundation of national morality must be laid in private families.” —John Adams (1778)

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Family, First Principles, Foundation, John Adams, Morality, National, Private | Leave a comment