Thomas Jefferson Quotes About Passion

• You and I have formerly seen warm debates and high political passions. But gentlemen of different politics would then speak to each other and separate the business of the Senate from that of society. It is not so now. Men who have been intimate all their lives, cross the streets to avoid meeting, and turn their heads another way, lest they should be obliged to touch their hats. This may do for young men with whom passion is enjoyment. But it is afflicting to peaceable minds. Tranquility is the old man's milk.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Passion, Men, Political

• The selfish spirit of commerce, which knows no country, and feels no passion or principle but that of gain.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Country, Business, Selfish

  Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, contin”, p.441

• Subject opinion to coercion: whom will you make your inquisitors? Fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons. And why subject it to coercion? To produce uniformity. But is uniformity of opinion desirable? No more than of face and stature.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Religious, Passion, Men

  Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Inaugural addresses and messages. Replies to public addresses. Indian addresses. Miscellaneous: 1. Notes on Virginia; 2. Biographical sketches of distinguished men; 3. The batture at New Orleans”, p.401

• My passion strengthens daily to quit political turmoil, and retire into the bosom of my family, the only scene of sincere and purehappiness.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Happiness, Passion, Political

• The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this, and learn to imitate it.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Wisdom, Workout, Children

  Thomas Jefferson, Jean M. Yarbrough (1963). “The Essential Jefferson”, p.130, Hackett Publishing

• Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science, by rendering them my supreme delight. But the enormities of the times in which I have lived, have forced me to take a part in resisting them, and to commit myself on the boisterous ocean of political passions.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Ocean, Passion, Commitment

  Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.32, Cambridge University Press

• I see now our fireside formed into a groupe, no one member of which has a fibre in their composition which can ever produce any jarring or jealousies among us. No irregular passions, no dangerous bias, which may render problematical the future fortunes and happiness of our descendants.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Happiness, Passion, May

  Thomas Jefferson, Barbara B. Oberg (1950). “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 29: 1 March 1796 to 31 December 1797”, p.424, Princeton University Press

• With earnest prayers to all my friends to cherish mutual good will, to promote harmony and conciliation, and above all things to let the love of our country soar above all minor passions, I tender you the assurance of my affectionate esteem and respect.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Love, Country, Prayer

  Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, contin”, p.597

• Music...This is the favorite passion of my soul.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Passion, Soul, My Soul

  Thomas Jefferson (1977). “The Portable Thomas Jefferson”, p.280, Penguin

• Our judges are as honest as other men and not more so. They have, with others, the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of their corps.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Party, Passion, Men

  Thomas Jefferson “Selected letters of Thomas Jefferson”, Lulu.com

• Though written constitutions may be violated in moments of passion or delusion, yet they furnish a text to which those who are watchful may again rally and recall the people; they fix too for the people the principles of their political creed.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Passion, People, Political

  Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, contin”, p.441

• The parent storms, the child looks on, catches the lineaments of wrath, puts on the same airs in the circle of smaller slaves, gives a loose to the worst of passions, and thus nursed, educated and daily exercised in tyranny, cannot but be stamped by it with odious peculiarities.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Children, Passion, Wrath

  Thomas Jefferson (1832). “Notes on the State of Virginia”, p.170

• Peace is our passion.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Peace, Passion

  Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution : Annotated Correspondence”, p.171, Algora Publishing

• If there is a gratification which I envy any people in this world it is to your country [Italy] its music. This is the favorite passion of my soul, and fortune has cast my lot in a country where it is in a state of deplorable barbarism.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Music, Country, Passion

  Thomas Jefferson, Merrill D. Peterson, United States. President (1801-1809 : Jefferson) (1975). “The portable Thomas Jefferson”, Viking Adult

• I join cordially in admiring and revering the Constitution of the United States, the result of the collected wisdom of our country. That wisdom has committed to us the important task of proving by example that a government, if organized in all its parts on the Representative principle unadulterated by the infusion of spurious elements, if founded, not in the fears & follies of man, but on his reason, on his sense of right, on the predominance of the social over his dissocial passions, may be so free as to restrain him in no moral right, and so firm as to protect him from every moral wrong.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Country, Passion, Men

• To history therefore I must refer for answer, in which it would be an unhappy passage indeed, which should shew by what fatal indulgence of subordinate views and passions, a contest for an atom had defeated well founded prospects of giving liberty to half the globe.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Passion, Views, Giving

  Thomas Jefferson (1951). “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: 18 June, 1779 to 30 September, 1780”

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