They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its average men and women.
Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
Confronted with the choice, the American people would choose the policeman's truncheon over the anarchist's bomb.
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Say what you have to say and the first time you come to a sentence with a grammatical ending - sit down.
The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.
You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb.
Any excuse will serve a tyrant.
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
He who tampers with the currency robs labour of its bread.
The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.
To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.
Fanaticism consists of redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.
A government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims.
It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.
(...) when a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.
You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong.
What distinguishes the majority of men from the few is their inability to act according to their beliefs.
