Quotes By George Washington

To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.

Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

Lenience will operate with greater force, in some instances than rigor. It is therefore my first wish to have all of my conduct distinguished by it.

The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.

Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.

Laws made by common consent must not be trampled on by individuals.

Nothing can be more hurtful to the service, than the neglect of discipline; for that discipline, more than numbers, gives one army the superiority over another.

We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.

War - An act of violence whose object is to constrain the enemy, to accomplish our will.

It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.

Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.

I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.

It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company.

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.

Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.

The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.

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

Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.

My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty... it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.

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.

Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.

Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.