John Quincy Quotes

It is the doom of the Christian church to be always distracted with controversy. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

Civil liberty can be established on no foundation of human reason which will not at the same time demonstrate the right of religious freedom. — John Quincy Adams

Try and fail,but don't fail to try. — John Quincy Adams

A gentleman of one of the first fortunes upon the continent ... sacrificing his ease, and hazarding all in the cause of his country. — John Quincy Adams

I was born for a controversial world, and I cannot escape my destiny. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

A stout heart, a clear conscience, and never despair. — John Quincy Adams

The extremes of opulence and of want are more remarkable, and more constantly obvious, in [Great Britain] than in any other place that I ever saw. — John Quincy Adams

A man's diary is a record in youth of his sentiments, in middle age of his actions, in old age of his reflections. — John Quincy Adams

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. — John Quincy Adams

Duty is ours, results are God's. — John Quincy Adams

I told him it was law logic-an artificial system of reasoning, exclusively used in courts of justice, but good for nothing anywhere else. — John Quincy Adams

Most ardent reformers are accompanied by but equal portion of dullness . John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

John Quincy Adams most certainly was a part of the Revolutionary War era. He was a young boy, but he was actively involved. — Michele Bachmann

The gigantic intellect, the envious temper, the ravenous ambition and the rotten heart of Daniel Webster. — John Quincy Adams

Your father's zeal for books will be one of the last desires which will quit him, Abigail observed to John Quincy — David McCullough

Not stones, nor wood, nor the art of artisans make a state; but where men are who know how to take care of themselves, these are cities and walls. — John Quincy Adams

The great object of the institution of civil government is the improvement of those who are parties to the social compact. — John Quincy Adams

The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived. — John Quincy Adams

The best guarantee against the abuse of power consists in the freedom, the purity, and the frequency of popular elections. — John Quincy Adams

The four most miserable years of my life were my four years in the presidency. — John Quincy Adams

The public history of all countries, and all ages, is but a sort of mask, richly colored. The interior working of the machinery must be foul. — John Quincy Adams

I have to study politics and war so that my sons can study mathematics, commerce and agriculture, so their sons can study poetry, painting and music. — John Quincy Adams

The Law given from Sinai [The Ten Commandments] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code. — John Quincy Adams

The art of making love, muffled up in furs, in the open air, with the thermometer at Zero, is a Yankee invention. — John Quincy Adams

Whether to the nation or to the state, no service can be or ever will be rendered by a more able or a more faithful public servant. — John Quincy Adams

We know the redemption must come. — John Quincy Adams

Roll, years of promise, rapidly roll round, till not a slave shall on this earth be found. — John Quincy Adams

Idleness is sweet, and its consequences are cruel. — John Quincy Adams

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. — John Quincy Adams

The historian must have no country. - JOHN QUINCY ADAMS — James W. Loewen

No book in the world deserves to be so unceasingly studied, and so profoundly meditated upon as the Bible. — John Quincy Adams

I cannot ask of heaven success, even for my country, in a cause where she should be in the wrong. — John Quincy Adams

The law is an artificial human construct, quite arbitrary, and of absolutely no use anywhere else but in a court of law! — John Quincy Adams

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone. — John Quincy Adams

The life-changing encounters that John Quincy Adams made as an adolescent on his own in Stockholm began with a friendship he struck up at a bookstore. — Paul C. Nagel

I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet. — John Quincy Adams

Those who take oaths to politically powerful secret societies cannot be depended on for loyalty to a democratic republic. — John Quincy Adams

Though it cost the blood of millions of white men, let it come. Let justice be done. — John Quincy Adams

The world shall retire from me before I shall retire from the world. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

To believe that everyone is honest is folly, but to believe that no one is honest is worse. — John Quincy Adams

The declaration that our People are hostile to a government made by themselves, for themselves, and conducted by themselves, is an insult. — John Quincy Adams

There is such seduction in a library of good books that I cannot resist the temptation to luxuriate in reading. — John Quincy Adams

My stern chase after time is, to borrow a simile from Tom Paine, like the race of a man with a wooden leg after a horse. — John Quincy Adams

Ambition distorts even memory itself. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air. — John Quincy Adams

Slavery is the great and foul stain upon the North American Union. — John Quincy Adams

The Bible contains the revelation of the will of God. It contains the history of the creation of the world, and of mankind. — John Quincy Adams

Individual liberty is individual power. — John Quincy Adams

To live without having a Cicero and a Tacitus at hand seems to me as if it was aprivation of one of my limbs. — John Quincy Adams

I carry too much of the week into the Sabbath , and too little of the Sabbath into the week. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

This is the last of earth! I am content. — John Quincy Adams

Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people. — John Quincy Adams

Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America's heart, her benedictions and her prayers. — John Quincy Adams

The magistrate is the servant not of his own desires, not even of the people, but of his God — John Quincy Adams

No sermon I have heard or read touched my heart with half the force of this puppet show. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

Where annual elections end where slavery begins. — John Quincy Adams

I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year. — John Quincy Adams

Our Constitution rests on the good sense and the respect of the American people. — John Quincy Adams

The freedom of the press should be inviolate. — John Quincy Adams

[I believe in the] rebuilding of Judea as an independent nation. — John Quincy Adams

The firmest security of peace is the preparation during peace of the defenses of war. — John Quincy Adams

My countenance in my old-age does injustice to my heart. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

We understand now, we've been made to understand, and to embrace the understanding that who we are is who we were. — John Quincy Adams

The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality. — John Quincy Adams

Death fixes forever the relation existing between the departed spirit and the survivors upon earth. — John Quincy Adams

Thus situated, the perilous experiment must be made. Let me make it with full deliberations, and be prepared for the consequences. — John Quincy Adams

Every temptation is an opportunity of our getting nearer to God. — John Quincy Adams

May our country be always successful, but whether successful or otherwise, always right. — John Quincy Adams

Occasional war is one of the rigorous instruments in the hands of Providence to give tone to the character of nations. — John Quincy Adams

Whoever tells the best story wins. — John Quincy Adams

From the experience of the past we derive instructive lessons for the future. — John Quincy Adams

America ... goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. — John Quincy Adams

A stranger would think that the people of the United States had no other occupation than electioneering. — John Quincy Adams

There is nothing so deep and nothing so shallow which political enmity will not turn to account. — John Quincy Adams

The manners of women are the surest criterion by which to determine whether a republican government is practicable in a nation or not. — John Quincy Adams

I would much rather be found guilty of making a serious mistake in judgment, than to be accused of being even a little bit insincere. — John Quincy Adams

It has been my custom for many years to read the Bible in its entirety once a year — John Quincy Adams

Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Saviour? — John Quincy Adams

All that I am
my mother made me. — John Quincy Adams

The first and almost the only Book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. — John Quincy Adams

His face is livid, gaunt his whole body, his breath is green with gall; his tongue drips poison. — John Quincy Adams

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. — John Quincy Adams

The will of the people is the source and the happiness of the people the end of all legitimate government upon earth. — John Quincy Adams

Life is a problem; mortal man was made to solve the solemn problem right or wrong. — John Quincy Adams

Posterity
you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. — John Quincy Adams

Our religion was the religion of a Book. Man must be educated on Earth for Heaven. John Quincy Adams — Paul C. Nagel

John Quincy Adams strove to escape commonplace thoughts. — Paul C. Nagel

America is a friend of freedom everywhere, but a custodian only of our own. — John Quincy Adams

To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so, is something worse. — John Quincy Adams

Westward the star of empire takes its way. — John Quincy Adams

All that I am my mother made me. - John Quincy Adams. Children and mothers never truly part ... — Charlotte Gray