John Adams Quotes
When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking, or thinking, I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more.
Adams himself, when President, led the passage of the Alien & Sedition Act which were a major restriction on freedom of speech that was on the books until Thomas Jefferson pardoned all those convicted. There were many other restrictions which over the years were wiped away by policy and court opinion.
John Adams, 1735-1826, 2nd President of the United States (Federalist, MA), Letter to Thomas Jefferson, July 15, 1817
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
This language is from the earlier version of the Constitution passed in the middle of the 19th century.
The editorial was in response to Congressional hearings held by J. Parnell Thomas of the House Un-American Activities Committee whereby Hollywood producers and directors were questioned about their political beliefs.
This was a decade before the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. You can imagine the distress of Vermonters when the U. S. Constitution was written with no provision for absolute freedom of speech which they had had for a over a decade. They would not ratify the U, S, Constitution without the understanding that there would be a Bill of Rights added with the First Amendment.
John Adams Jr. was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of the American Revolution that achieved independence from Great Britain, and he served as the first vice president of the United States. Adams was a dedicated diarist and regularly corresponded with many important figures in early American history, including his wife and adviser Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
