Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good
or for ill, it teaches the whole people by read more

Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good
or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is
contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds
contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto
himself; it invites anarchy.

Government, which does not and did not grant us our rights, must not now seek to deny them by using read more

Government, which does not and did not grant us our rights, must not now seek to deny them by using fear as its justification

The best minds in government? If any were, business would hire them away.

The best minds in government? If any were, business would hire them away.

Despotism tempered by assassination, that is our Magna Carta.
[Fr., Le despotisme tempere par l'assassinat, c'est notre magna
read more

Despotism tempered by assassination, that is our Magna Carta.
[Fr., Le despotisme tempere par l'assassinat, c'est notre magna
charta.]

A government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical read more

A government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims.

I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war on liberty, and that the read more

I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war on liberty, and that the democratic government is at least as bad as any of the other forms

My experience in government is that when things are non-controversial and beautifully coordinated, there is not much going on.

My experience in government is that when things are non-controversial and beautifully coordinated, there is not much going on.

Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.

Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.

A wise government knows how to enforce with temper, or to conciliate with dignity, but a weak one is odious read more

A wise government knows how to enforce with temper, or to conciliate with dignity, but a weak one is odious in the former, and contemptible in the latter.