George Washington

Precedents are dangerous things; let the rein of government then be braced and held with a steady hand

Precedents are dangerous things; let the rein of government then be braced and held with a steady hand

To err is natural; to rectify error is glory.

To err is natural; to rectify error is glory.

To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is read more

True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.

Written about Washington after his death by another of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson: His mind was great and powerful read more

Written about Washington after his death by another of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson: His mind was great and powerful ... as far as he saw, no judgment was ever sounder. It was slow in operation, being little aided by invention or imagination, but sure in conclusion.... Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed; refraining if he saw doubt, but, when once decided, going through his purpose, whatever obstacles opposed. His integrity was the most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known.... He was, indeed, in every sense of the words, a wise, a good and a great man ... On the whole, his character was, in its mass, perfect ... it may truly be said, that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great....