"The people of every country are the..." - Quote by Thomas Jefferson
The people of every country are the only safe guardians of their own rights.
More by Thomas Jefferson
“When the subject is strong, simplicity is the only way to treat it.”
“The execution of the laws is more important than the making of them.”
“A single good government becomes... a blessing to the whole earth, its welcome to the oppressed restraining within certain limits the measure of their oppressions. But should even this be counteracted by violence on the right of expatriation, the other branch of our example then presents itself for imitation: to rise on their rulers and do as we have done.”
More on Rights
“A man can give up a right, but he may not give up a duty without being guilty of a grave dereliction.”
“The authority of government . . . can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it.”
“I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long asthe rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on theserequire a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we arejust friends and brave enemies.”
More on Democracy
“Our object now, as then, is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world as against selfish and autocratic power, and to set up among the really free and self-governed peoples of the world such a concert of purpose and of action as will henceforth insure the observance of those principles.”
“Democracy is "government of, by and for the people".”
“Free speech exercised both individually and through a free press, is a necessity in any country where people are themselves free.”