Thomas Jefferson Quotes about Office

Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties, and to take none of them from us.

Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties, and to take none of them from us.

Thomas Jefferson

Rights, Office, Liberty

Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, cont”, p.3

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.

Thomas Jefferson

Eye, Men, Office

Thomas Jefferson (2004). “Light and Liberty: Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness”, p.25, Modern Library

Were parties here divided merely by a greediness for office,...to take a part with either would be unworthy of a reasonable or moral man.

Thomas Jefferson

Party, Men, Office

Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, correspondence and private papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. by T.J. Randolph”, p.325

The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife.

Thomas Jefferson

Knives, Government Debt, Office

Thomas Jefferson (1855). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence. Reports and opinions while secretary of state”, p.212

I apprehend... that the total abandonment of the principle of rotation in the offices of President and Senator will end in abuse.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Political, Abuse

Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.101, Rowman & Littlefield

The suppression of unnecessary offices, of useless establishments and expenses enabled us to discontinue our internal taxes. These covering our land with officers, and opening our doors to their intrusions, had already begun that process of domiciliary vexation which, once entered, is scarcely to be restrained from reaching successively every article of produce and property.

Thomas Jefferson

Doors, Land, Office

Thomas Jefferson, Richard Holland Johnston, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson”

It is so difficult to draw a clear line of separation between the abuse and the wholesome use of the press, that as yet we have found it better to trust the public judgment, rather than the magistrate, with the discrimination between truth and falsehood. And hitherto the public judgment has performed that office with wonderful correctness.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Abuse, Lines

Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, contin”, p.463

Whiskey claims to itself alone the exclusive office of sot-making.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Whiskey, Claims

Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, cont”, p.285

The proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right.

Thomas Jefferson

Religious, Office, Atheism

Thomas Jefferson, Richard Holland Johnston, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson”

My principles, and those always received by the republicans, do not admit to removing any person from office merely for a difference of political opinion. Malversations in office, and the exerting of official influence to control the freedom of election are good causes for removal.

Thomas Jefferson

Political Opinions, Differences, Office

The appointment of a woman to office is an innovation for which the public is not prepared, nor I.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Innovation, Prepared

Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.27, Cambridge University Press

No man will ever bring out of that office the reputation which carries him into it. The honeymoon would be as short in that case as in any other, and its moments of ecstasy would be ransomed by years of torment and hatred.

Thomas Jefferson

Men, Years, Office

Thomas Jefferson, Andrew M. Allison (1983). “The Real Thomas Jefferson”, Natl Center for Constitutional

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

Thomas Jefferson

People, Office, Substance

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The foundation on which (our government is) built is the natural equality of man, the denial of every pre-eminence but that annexed to legal office, and particularly the denial of a pre-eminence by birth.

Thomas Jefferson

Men, Office, Foundation

Those who have once got an ascendancy, and possessed themselves of all the resources of the nation, their revenues and offices, have immense means for retaining their advantage.

Thomas Jefferson

Mean, Office, Advantage

Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, correspondence and private papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. by T.J. Randolph”, p.400

The application requisite to the duties of the office I hold [governor of Virginia] is so excessive, and the execution of them after all so imperfect, that I have determined to retire from it at the close of the present campaign.

Thomas Jefferson

Retirement, Virginia, Office

I have now the gloomy prospect of retiring from office loaded with serious debts, which will materially affect the tranquility of my retirement.

Thomas Jefferson

Retirement, Office, Debt

Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.211, Rowman & Littlefield

Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor - over each other.

Thomas Jefferson

Life, Differences, Office

Thomas Jefferson, Jean M. Yarbrough (1963). “The Essential Jefferson”, p.128, Hackett Publishing

The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery.

Thomas Jefferson

Government, Office, Political

Bernard Mayo, Thomas Jefferson (1988). “Jefferson Himself: The Personal Narrative of a Many-Sided American”, p.199, University of Virginia Press

If a due participation of office is a matter of right, how are vacancies to be obtained? Those by death are few; by resignation, none.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Vacancy, Politics

Letter to Elias Shipman and others, 12 July 1801.

The difficulty is no longer to find candidates for the offices, but offices for the candidates.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Bureaucracy, Difficulty

The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society. And indeed it would have been inconsistent in creation to have formed man for the social state, and not to have provided virtue and wisdom enough to manage the concerns of the society. May we not even say that that form of government is the best which provides the most - for a pure selection of these natural aristoi into the offices of government?

Thomas Jefferson

Men, Office, Aristocracy

Thomas Jefferson, John Dewey (2008). “The Essential Jefferson”, p.62, Courier Corporation

I hope we shall prove how much happier for man the Quaker policy is, and that the life of the feeder is better than that of the fighter; and it is some consolation that the desolation by these maniacs of one part of the earth is the means of improving it in other parts. Let the latter be our office, and let us milk the cow, while the Russian holds her by the horns, and the Turk by the tail.

Thomas Jefferson

Mean, Men, Office

Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, cont”, p.245

The office of reformer of the superstitions of a nation is ever dangerous.

Thomas Jefferson

Faith Religion, Office, Superstitions

Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, contin. Reports and opinions while Secretary of State”, p.167

Public offices were not made for private convenience.

Thomas Jefferson

Office, Made, Convenience