Public Trust Quotes

• Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees. And both the trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people.

  Henry Clay

  Trust, Government, People

  Henry Clay (2015). “The Papers of Henry Clay: Candidate, Compromiser, Whig, March 5, 1829-December 31, 1836”, p.42, University Press of Kentucky

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• Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Trust, Freedom, Educational

  Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.106, Rowman & Littlefield

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• When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Trust, Truth, Men

  Remark to Baron von Humboldt, 1807, in Rayner 'Life of Jefferson' (1834) p. 356

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• All persons possessing any portion of power ought to be strongly and awfully impressed with an idea that they act in trust, and that they are to account for their conduct in that trust to the one great Master, Author, and Founder of society.

  Edmund Burke

  Trust, Power, Ideas

  Edmund Burke (1860). “The Works of Edmund Burke: With a Memoir”, p.496

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• I repeat... that all power is a trust; that we are accountable for its exercise; that from the people and for the people all springs, and all must exist.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Trust, Spring, Exercise

  'Vivian Grey' (1826) bk. 6, ch. 7

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• To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.

  George MacDonald

  Love, Life, Friendship

  "The Marquis of Lossie".

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• The aim of every political Constitution, is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.

  James Madison

  Trust, Men, Political

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2003). “The Federalist: With Letters of Brutus”, p.277, Cambridge University Press

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• Public office is a public trust, the authority and opportunities of which must be used as absolutely as the public moneys for the public benefit, and not for the purposes of any individual or party.

  Dorman Bridgeman Eaton

  Trust, Party, Opportunity

  "The "Spoils" System and Civil Service Reform". Book by Dorman Bridgeman Eaton, Chapter III. The Merit System,

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• There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

  John Adams

  Inspirational, Trust, Freedom

  'Notes for an Oration at Braintree' (Spring 1772)

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• The truth was that all men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.

  James Madison

  Truth, Men, Presidential

  James Madison's notes on the debates in the Federal Convention, avalon.law.yale.edu. July 11, 1787.

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• The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party.

  John C. Calhoun

  Trust, Country, Party

  John C. Calhoun “The Works of John C. Calhoun Volume 2”, Jazzybee Verlag

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• It is not fit the public trusts should be lodged in the hands of any, till they are first proved and found fit for the business they are to be entrusted with.

  Matthew Henry

  Business, Hands, Firsts

  Matthew Henry “An Exposition of the New Testament: Wherein Each Chapter is Summed Up in Its Contents ...”

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• Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made.

  Grover Cleveland

  Law, People, Agents

  Grover Cleveland (1909). “Addresses, State Papers and Letters”

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• All power is a trust, that we are accountable for its exercise.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Trust, Exercise, Power

  'Vivian Grey' (1826) bk. 6, ch. 7

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• My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

  Barack Obama

  Government, Effectiveness, Creating

  "Open Government Directive: Obama Moves On Transparency Promise" by Rachel Weiner, www.huffingtonpost.com. March 18, 2010.

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• Public office is supposed to be a public trust. This is a clear sign of the rampant corruption at the highest levels of the Republican leadership.

  Bob Etheridge

  Office, Levels, Republican

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• The Supreme Court's only armor is the cloak of public trust; its sole ammunition, the collective hopes of our society.

  Irving Kaufman

  Trust, History, Our Society

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• Newspapers with declining circulations can complain all they want about their readers and even say they have no taste. But you will still go out of business over time. A newspaper is not a public trust - it has a business model that either works or it doesn't.

  Marc Andreessen

  Complaining, Want, Taste

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• The English doctrine that all power is a trust for the public good.

  Thomas B. Macaulay

  Trust, Doctrine, Public Good

  "Essay on Horace Walpole" by Thomas B. Macaulay, 1833.

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• Baseball is a public trust. Players turn over, owners turn over and certain commissioners turn over. But baseball goes on.

  Peter Ueberroth

  Inspirational, Motivational, Sports

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• Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, exercises a public trust.

  Grover Cleveland

  Exercise, Presidential, Voting

  Grover Cleveland, United States. President (1885-1889 : Cleveland), United States. President (1893-1897 : Cleveland) (1968). “Grover Cleveland, 1837-1908: chronology, documents, bibliographical aids”

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• The appointing power of the Pope is treated as a public trust, and not as a personal perquisite.

  Grover Cleveland

  Trust, Pope, Treated

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• I have never, not once, violated my public trust.

  Alan Mollohan

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• The phrase public office is a public trust, has of last become common property.

  Charles Sumner

  Office, Lasts, Phrases

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• Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

  William Shakespeare

  Love, Inspirational, Life

  William Shakespeare (1826). “Plays of William Shakespeare”, p.226

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