John Adams Quotes

I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.

Freedom was the desire of our people throughout centuries. Freedom enabled our people to be owners of their destiny.

The elemental human desire for self-government knows no geographical or racial boundaries.

It is our purpose to respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live and to see sovereign rights and self-government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them.

Nor let it be supposed that any people is likely to remain content with semi-independence [autonomy]. It may welcome this as a first step, a partial concession, but not for long. There is no logical stopping place, no halfway house which will make a permanent home on the road to equality, and those who have once got well started on that road grow increasingly impatient and resent every effort to delay them on their way to their final goal.

The right of self-government does not comprehend the government of others.

Nothing is more precious than independence and liberty.

Well, it's very clear that the Arab population is rising because they'd like to have a say in the running of their affairs, running of their government, and this is very legitimate.

The Malagasy people must have the liberty to choose their own future.

We must plan for freedom, and not only for security, if for no other reason than that only freedom can make security secure.

We have pledged ourselves, and of this the United Nations of the world are witness, to give the fullest opportunity for attainment of self-government by India as soon as hostilities are over. I repeat that that is beyond doubt.

No new state is ever fully ready for independence ..

The test of a good colonial policy is that it shall prepare colonies for independent self—government.

The sovereignty of republics is an historical inevitability.

No people must be forced under a sovereignty under which it does not wish to live.

If you give people an opportunity for self government and freedom, most people will reach for freedom

I think I see a free and independent kingdom delivering up that which all the world hath been fighting for …, to wit a power to manage their own affairs by themselves without the assistance and counsel of any other.

The rule of liberty that all government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, applies only to those who are capable of self government. We govern the Indians without their consent, we govern our territories without their consent, we govern our children without their consent.

Liberty is the most jealous and exacting mistress that can beguile the brain and soul of man.

The war must go on to last man of this generation falls in his tracks … unless you acknowledge our right to self government. We are not fighting for slavery. We are fighting for independence, and that, or extermination, we will have

There is nothing as important as freedom and independence.

The life my people want is a life of freedom.

What is the basic unit of "self" in the expression "self-government?" How large does your group have to be before it can be a government unto itself? In fact, do you have to be part of a group at all?

We wanted to make it quite clear and beyond any possibility of doubt or question that the British Government and the British people desire the Indian peoples to have full self-government

We can not want Democracy more than they [the Iraqis] do and expect to succeed.