George Washington Quotes - Page 6

• Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness - these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. . . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.

  George Washington

  Religious, Business, Men

  "George Washington’s Farewell Address". "The Life of George Washington. Special Edition for Schools", ed. Robert Faulkner and Paul Carrese, Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, oll.libertyfund.org. 2000.

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• It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God.

  George Washington

  Thanksgiving, Presidential, Duty To God

  Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789

  33 Copy quote

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

  George Washington

  Memorial Day, Freedom, 4th Of July

  George Washington, Stephen Lucas (1999). “The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot”, p.55, Rowman & Littlefield

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• Almighty and eternal Lord God, the great Creator of heaven and earth, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; look down from heaven in pity and compassion upon me thy servant, who humbly prostrate myself before thee.

  George Washington

  Jesus, Father, Compassion

  George Washington (1907). “Washington's Prayers”

  29 Copy quote

• Purity of morals [is] the only sure foundation of public happiness in any country.

  George Washington

  Country, Foundation, Moral

  George Washington, Stephen Lucas (1999). “The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot”, p.62, Rowman & Littlefield

  15 Copy quote

• Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can exist apart from religious principle.

  George Washington

  Religious, Truth, Freedom

  26 Copy quote

• My aim has been... to keep the United States... independent of all and under the influence of none.

  George Washington

  Independent, United States, Influence

  George Washington (1969). “Washington's Farewell address: the view from the 20th century”

  7 Copy quote

• Freemasonry is an institution founded on eternal reason and truth; whose deep basis is the civilization of mankind, and whose everlasting glory it is to have the immovable support of those two mighty pillars, science and morality.

  George Washington

  Civilization, Two, Support

  80 Copy quote

• Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.

  George Washington

  Inspiring, Inspiration, 4th Of July

  George Washington (1837). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses”, p.162

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• 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.

  George Washington

  Travel, War, 4th Of July

  George Washington (1836). “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.367

  64 Copy quote

• Upon the decease [of] my wife, it is my Will and desire th[at] all the Slaves which I hold in [my] own right, shall receive their free[dom] . . . . The Negroes thus bound, are (by their Masters or Mistresses) to be taught to read and write; and to be brought up to some useful occupation, agreeably to the Laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, providing for the support of Orphan and other poor Children. And I do hereby expressly forbid the Sale, or transportation out of the said Commonwealth, of any Slave I may die possessed of, under any pretence whatsoever.

  George Washington

  Children, Writing, Law

  11 Copy quote

• The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.

  George Washington

  Government, Ideas, People

  George Washington (1810). “Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States”, p.10

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• [The spirit of party] opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.

  George Washington

  Party, Passion, Government

  George Washington, John Jay, Jared Sparks (1850). “Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States of America”, p.30, New York : J. Wiley

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• May the same wonderworking Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian oppressors and planted them in the promised land, whose Providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation, still continue to water them with the dews of Heaven and to make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah.

  George Washington

  Spiritual, Independent, Blessing

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1837). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses”, p.186

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• The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.

  George Washington

  4th Of July, Destiny, Government

  First Inaugural Address, New York, N.Y., 30 Apr. 1789

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• You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do every thing they can to assist you in this wise intention.

  George Washington

  Wise, Jesus, Art

  George Washington (1997). “Writings”

  9 Copy quote

• But if we are to be told by a foreign Power . . . what we shall do, and what we shall not do, we have Independence yet to seek, and have contended hitherto for very little.

  George Washington

  Independence, Littles, Foreign Policy

  George Washington, David Maydole Matteson, United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission (1931). “The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799”

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• One of the difficulties in bringing about change in an organization is that you must do so through the persons who have been most successful in that organization, no matter how faulty the system or the organization is. To such persons, you see, it is the best of all possible organizations, because look who was selected by it ad look who succeeded most in it. Yet, these are the very people through whom we must bring about improvements.

  George Washington

  Inspirational, Motivational, Successful

  38 Copy quote

• 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 his personal services to the defence of it, and consequently that the Citizens of America (with a few legal and official exceptions) from 18 to 50 Years of Age should be borne on the Militia Rolls, provided with uniform Arms, and so far accustomed to the use of them, that the Total strength of the Country might be called forth at a Short Notice on any very interesting Emergency.

  George Washington

  Country, Military, Years

  "Sentiments on a Peace Establishment". Letter to Alexander Hamilton on May 02, 1783. "The Writings of George Washington", edited by John C. Fitzpatrick, Volume 26, p. 289, 1938.

  13 Copy quote

• We take the star from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.

  George Washington

  Mother, Country, Stars

  56 Copy quote

• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few.

  George Washington

  Friendship, Best Friend, Intimate Relationships

  George Washington (1852). “The life of General Washington: first president of the United States”, p.94

  46 Copy quote

• It is incumbent upon every person of every description to contribute to his country's welfare.

  George Washington

  Country, Welfare, Description

  23 Copy quote

• If the minority, and a small one too, is suffered to dictate to the majority, after measures have undergone the most solemn discussions by the representatives of the people, and their will through this medium is enacted into a law, there can be no security for life, liberty, or property; nor, if the laws are not to govern, can any man know how to conduct himself in safety.

  George Washington

  Men, Law, People

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1836). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. IV. Letters official and private, from the beginning of his presidency to the end of his life: (v. 10) May, 1789-November, 1794. (v. 11) November, 1794-December, 1799”, p.440

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• To please everybody is impossible; were I to undertake it, I should probably please nobody.

  George Washington

  Helping, Self Help, Impossible

  George Washington, Stephen Lucas (1999). “The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot”, p.70, Rowman & Littlefield

  8 Copy quote

• All combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community.

  George Washington

  Real, Party, Character

  George Washington, United States. President (1789-1797 : Washington) (1847). “Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States of America: Published in September, 1796”, p.7

  18 Copy quote

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