18th-century Politician Quotes

Napoleon I of France

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Franklin

Simón Bolívar

Catherine the Great

Maximilien Robespierre

Let us give to our republic a fourth power with authority over the youth, the hearts of men, public spirit, habits, and republican morality. Let us establish this Areopagus to watch over the education of the children, to supervise national education, to purify whatever may be corrupt in the republic, to denounce ingratitude, coldness in the country's service, egotism, sloth, idleness, and to pass judgment upon the first signs of corruption and pernicious example.

Simón Bolívar

As to war, I am and always was a great enemy, at the same time a warrior the greater part of my life, and were I young again, should still be a warrior while ever this country should be invaded and I lived — a Defensive war I think a righteous war to Defend my life & property & that of my family, in my own opinion, is right & justifiable in the sight of God.
An offensive war, I believe to be wrong and would therefore have nothing to do with it, having no right to meddle with another man's property, his ox or his ass, his man servant or his maid servant or anything that is his. Neither does he have a right to meddle with anything that is mine, if he does I have a right to defend it by force.

Cut the Wings of your Hens and Hopes, lest they lead you a weary Dance after them.

Benjamin Franklin

In my opinion physicians kill as many people as we generals.

Napoleon I of France

Some audacity, more audacity, always audacity and the Fatherland will be saved!

It is with regret that I pronounce the fatal truth: Louis must die that the country may live.

Maximilien Robespierre

In general I esteem it a good maxim, that the best way to preserve the confidence of the people durably is to promote their true interest

George Washington

During the days of his last illness:

If Mr. Selwyn calls again, show him up: if I am alive I shall be delighted to see him; and if I am dead he would like to see me.

Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland

I believe from what I have lately seen that we should be substantially safe were our Citizens Armed, but we have not as many Arms as we have Enemies in the State.

Thomas Jefferson

The political Liberty of a Citizen is the Peace of Mind arising from the Consciousness, that every Individual enjoys his peculiar Safety; and in order that the People might attain this Liberty, the Laws ought to be so framed, that no one Citizen should stand in Fear of another; but that all of them should stand in Fear of the same Laws....

Catherine the Great

The rule of my life is to make business a pleasure and pleasure my business.

I am of opinion that it is highly requisite forthwith to pass a law, prohibiting upon great penalties all trade with our enemies, and more especially the supplying of them with arms, ammunition or provisions of any kind whatsoever.

William Shirley

Eloquence, transcendent eloquence, formed the foundation and the key-stone of Pitt's Ministerial greatness. Every other quality in him was accessory.

Of William Pitt the Younger

Nathaniel Wraxall

His Majesty has thought proper to order a new Commission of the Treasury to be made out, in which I do not see your name.

Frederick North

Conquering kings their titles take
From the foes they captive make.

It is said to be very hard on his majesty's ministers to raise objections to this proposition. For my own part, I think it is more hard on his majesty's opposition (a laugh) to compel them to take this course.

John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton

Seattle is a comparatively new-looking city that covers an old frontier like frosting on a cake.

Winthrop Sargent

Woe to the man who in the first moments of a love-affair does not believe that it will last forever! Woe to him who even in the arms of some mistress who has just yielded to him maintains an awareness of trouble to come and foresees that he may later tear himself away!

Benjamin Constant

No man should live where he can hear his neighbor's dog bark.

Nathaniel Macon

In the large animals, you see And own a wise economy - Without their aids, Man's boundless sway You feel would languish and decay.

Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine

Method is everything in archaeology, my boy. Why, we always deal with our finds in order.

Sir Joseph Scott, 1st Baronet

Illness may precipitate a spiritual crisis. Since illness is man's reaction to disease, it is a time when men are brought face to face with the ultimate concerns of life.

Samuel L. Southard

Before the Battle of Trafalgar:

Now, gentlemen, let us do something today which the world may talk of hereafter.

Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood

Abbreviations are the wheels of language, the wings of Mercury. And though we might be dragged along without them, it would be with much difficulty, very heavily and tediously.

John Horne Tooke

There are two great antagonistic principles at the root of all government—stability and experiment.

John Wilson Croker