The Revolution is made by man, but man must forge his revolutionary spirit from day to day.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.

Treaties, you see, are like girls and roses: they last while they last.

If you must take care that your opinions do not differ in the least from those of the person with whom you are talking, you might just as well be alone.

The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.

The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Whether for good or evil, it is sadly inevitable that all political leadership requires the artifices of theatrical illusion. In the politics of a democracy, the shortest distance between two points is often a crooked line.

You have all the characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner.

The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.

You should never have your best trousers on when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.

Why has the government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.

The affairs of the world are no more than so much trickery, and a man who toils for money or honor or whatever else in deference to the wishes of others, rather than because his own desire or needs lead him to do so, will always be a fool.