John Quincy Adams

From Wikiquote

John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American lawyer, diplomat, politician, and President of the United States (March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829). His party affiliations were Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Whig. Adams was the son of U.S. President John Adams, and Abigail Adams. He is most famous as a diplomat involved in many international negotiations, and for formulating the Monroe Doctrine. As president he proposed a grand program of modernization and educational advancement, but was unable to get it through Congress. Late in life, as a Congressman, he was a leading opponent of the Slave Power, arguing that if a civil war ever broke out the president could abolish slavery by using his war powers, a policy followed by Abraham Lincoln in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

[change] Quotes

All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse. John Quincy Adams

Simple: All men try to make people think they are honest. [An honest person is someone who says true things and does not steal.] They do that as long as they can. It is a bad idea to believe that all men are honest. It is an even worse idea to believe that no men are honest.

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

Simple: When you vote, always vote for what is right. You may be the only person voting for something, but you can be happy forever with the sweetest thought that your vote is never lost.

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy.

Simple: America does not go to other countries to look for big, bad animals to kill.

Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

Simple: Being able to wait nicely and being able to continue trying have a magic feeling. In front of that magic feeling, troubles disappear and things that were in the way, blocking the path, also disappear.

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.

Simple: To the people who will live after me: You will never know how much it cost us (the people who are living at the same time as me or about the same age as me) to make sure you continue to have freedom. I hope you will use that freedom in many good ways.

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

Where annual elections end where slavery begins. John Quincy Adams

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