George Washington the President, biography, facts and quotes

"Laws made by common consent must not be trampled on by individuals"

"The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government"

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master"

"I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery"

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence"

"The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good"

"Nothing can be more hurtful to the service, than the neglect of discipline; for that discipline, more than numbers, gives one army the superiority over another"

"The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure"

"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon"

"The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government"

"Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse"

"There can be no greater error than to expect, or calculate, upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard"

"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves"

"The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments"

"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it"

"Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty"

"Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all"

"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her"

"My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty... it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein"

"Mankind, when left to themselves, are unfit for their own government"

"Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive"

"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth"

"War - An act of violence whose object is to constrain the enemy, to accomplish our will"

"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience"

"It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it"

"It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it"

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible"

"It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company"

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one"

"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company"

"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness"

"A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends"

"It is better to be alone than in bad company"

"If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War"

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter"

"I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent"

"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man"

"I have no other view than to promote the public good, and am unambitious of honors not founded in the approbation of my Country"

"Bad seed is a robbery of the worst kind: for your pocket-book not only suffers by it, but your preparations are lost and a season passes away unimproved"

"Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected"

"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism"

"Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation"

"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth"

"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder"

"Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession"

"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all"

"Some day, following the example of the United States of America, there will be a United States of Europe"

"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle"

"Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God"

"Lenience will operate with greater force, in some instances than rigor. It is therefore my first wish to have all of my conduct distinguished by it"

Occup.	President
From	USA
Born	February 22, 1732
Died	December 14, 1799
Aged	67 years

George Washington Biography

50 Famous quotes by George Washington