George Washington Quotes - Page 21

• This Government, the offspring of your own choice, uninfluenced and unawed, adopted upon full investigation and mature deliberation, completely free in its principles, in the distribution of its powers, uniting security with energy, and containing within itself a provision for its own amendment, has a just claim to your confidence and your support.

  George Washington

  Government, Choices, Support

  George Washington (1809). “The Patriot's Monitor: Or, Speeches and Addresses of the Late George Washington”, p.124

  4 Copy quote

• The great Searcher of human hearts is my witness, that I have no wish, which aspires beyond the humble and happy lot of living and dying a private citizen on my own farm.

  George Washington

  Heart, Humble, Advice

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “The Writings of George Washington: pt.III. Private letters from the time Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army to that of his inauguration as president of the United States: December, 1783-April, 1789. 1835”, p.412

  4 Copy quote

• I never did, nor do I believe I ever shall, give advice to a woman who is setting out on a matrimonial voyage; first, because I never could advise one to marry without her own consent; and, secondly, I know it is to no purpose to advise her to refrain when she has obtained it. A woman very rarely asks an opinion or requires advice on such an occasion, till her resolution is formed; and then it is with the hope and expectation of obtaining a sanction, not that she means to be governed by your disapprobation, that she applies.

  George Washington

  Marriage, Believe, Mean

  George Washington (1997). “Writings”

  4 Copy quote

• Play not the Peacock, looking everywhere about you, to see if you be well deck't.

  George Washington

  Play, Wells, Deck

  George Washington (1888). “Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation”

  18 Copy quote

• To form a new Government, requires infinite care, and unbounded attention; for if the foundation is badly laid the superstructure must be bad.

  George Washington

  Government, Foundation, Attention

  George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1776). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”, p.92

  5 Copy quote

• The establishment of our new Government seemed to be the last great experiment for promoting human happiness by reasonable compact in civil society. It was to be, in the first instance, in a considerable degree a government of accommodation as well as a government of Laws. Much was to be done by prudence, much by conciliation, much by firmness.

  George Washington

  Government, Law, Degrees

  George Washington (1852). “The life of General Washington: first president of the United States”, p.176

  4 Copy quote

• Painful as the task is to describe the dark side of our affairs, it sometimes becomes a matter of indispensable necessity.

  George Washington

  Dark, Sides, Tasks

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. II. Correspondence and miscellaneous papers relating to the American revolution: (v. 3) June, 1775-July, 1776. (v. 4) July, 1776-July] 1777. (v. 5) July, 1777-July, 1778. (v. 6) July, 1778-March, 1780. (v. 7) March, 1780-April, 1781. (v. 8) April, 1781-December, 1783”, p.353

  4 Copy quote

• The pure and benign light of revelation has had a meliorating influence on mankind.

  George Washington

  Light, Influence, Christianity

  George Washington (1855). “Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral and Religious”, p.367

  7 Copy quote

• The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

  George Washington

  Wise, Party, People

  George Washington (1810). “Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States”, p.12

  8 Copy quote

• In disputes, be not so desirous to overcome as to not give liberty to each one to deliver his opinion and submit to the judgment of the major part, especially if they are judges of the dispute.

  George Washington

  Giving, Judging, Liberty

  George Washington (1834). “The Writings of George Washington: pt.1. Official letters relating to the French war and private letters before the American revolution: March, 1754-May, 1775”, p.415

  5 Copy quote

• Every action in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those present.

  George Washington

  Respect, Army, Action

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1834). “(v. 2) Comprising official letters relating to the French War, and private letters before the American Revolution”, p.412

  4 Copy quote

• Military arrangement, and movements in consequence, like the mechanism of a clock, will be imperfectand disordered by the want of a part.

  George Washington

  Military, War, Movement

  George Washington (1847). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. II. Correspondence and miscellaneous papers relating to the American revolution: (v. 3) June, 1775-July, 1776. (v. 4) July, 1776-July] 1777. (v. 5) July, 1777-July, 1778. (v. 6) July, 1778-March, 1780. (v. 7) March, 1780-April, 1781. (v. 8) April, 1781-December, 1783”, p.201

  4 Copy quote

• The business being thus closed . . . dined together and took a cordial leave of each other After which I returned to my lodgings, did some business with and received the papers from the secretary of the Convention, and retired to meditate on the momentous work which had been executed.

  George Washington

  Together, Paper, Conventions

  George Washington (1835). “The writings of George Washington: being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes, and illustrations”, p.541

  4 Copy quote

• I regret exceedingly that the disputes between the protestants and Roman Catholics should be carried to the serious alarming height mentioned in your letters. Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause; and I was not without hopes that the enlightened and liberal policy of the present age would have put an effectual stop to contentions of this kind.

  George Washington

  Religious, Regret, Spring

  20 Copy quote

• May Heaven to this Union continue its beneficence

  George Washington

  Heaven, Unions, May

  7 Copy quote

• I use no Porter ... in my family, but such as is made in America: both these articles may now be purchased of an excellent quality.

  George Washington

  Beer, America, Quality

  7 Copy quote

• [T]here is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists . . . an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness.

  George Washington

  Liberty, Unions, Virtue

  George Washington (1871). “Words of Washington”, p.141

  12 Copy quote

• I am now . . . on a subject, which fills me with inexpressible concern . . . . But as it has been a kind of destiny, that has thrown me upon this service, I shall hope that my undertaking it is designed to answer some good purpose.

  George Washington

  Destiny, Answers, Revolution

  George Washington (1852). “The life of General Washington: first president of the United States”, p.123

  4 Copy quote

• Next Monday the Convention in Virginia will assemble; we have still good hopes of its adoption here: though by no great plurality of votes. South Carolina has probably decided favourably before this time. The plot thickens fast. A few short weeks will determine the political fate of America for the present generation, and probably produce no small influence on the happiness of society through a long succession of ages to come.

  George Washington

  Monday, Fate, America

  4 Copy quote

• The Army (considering the irritable state it is in, its suffering and composition) is a dangerous instrument to play with.

  George Washington

  Army, Play, Suffering

  5 Copy quote

• The art of war is at once comprehensive and complicated; ... it demands much previous study; and ... the possession of it, in its most improved and perfect state, is always a great moment to the security of a nation. This, therefore, ought to be a serious care of every government; and for this purpose, an academy, where a regular course of instruction is given, is an obvious expedient, which different nations have successfully employed.

  George Washington

  Art, War, Government

  United States. President, George Washington, United States (1825). “The speeches, addresses and messages, of the several presidents of the United States, at the openings of Congress and at their respective inaugurations: Also, the Declaration of independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's farewell address to his fellow-citizens”, p.91

  4 Copy quote

• I have the consolation to believe, that, while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene, patriotism does not forbid it.

  George Washington

  Believe, Choices, Political

  George Washington (1838). “Monuments of Washington's patriotism: containing a fac simile of his publick accounts kept during the revolutionary war; and some of the documents connected with his military command and civil administration; together with an eulogium on the character of Washington, by W. Jackson”, p.13

  6 Copy quote

• Impressed with a conviction that the due administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good Government, I have considered the first arrangement of the Judicial department as essential to the happiness of our Country, and to the stability of its political system.

  George Washington

  Country, Government, Justice

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1852). “Life of Washington”, p.453

  5 Copy quote

• It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.

  George Washington

  Exercise, Rights, Class

  George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1792). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”, p.93

  8 Copy quote

• You will permit me to say, that a greater drama is now acting on this theatre than has heretofore been brought on the American tage, or any other in the world. We exhibit at present the novel and astonishing spectacle of a whole people deliberating calmly on what form of government will be most conducive to their happiness; and deciding with an unexpected degree of unanimity in favour of a system which they conceive calculated to answer the purpose.

  George Washington

  Drama, Government, People

  4 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Abraham Lincoln

Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Benjamin Franklin

Martha Washington

George W. Bush

Alexander Hamilton

James Madison