George Washington Famous Quotes

George Washington Famous Quotes. These quotes are from George Washington's own letters, diaries and speeches. George Washington was undoubtedly the greatest leader of the Revolutionary War. These George Washington Famous Quotes are listed in chronological order with links to more at the bottom.

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"Persuaded that if ever a crisis should arise to call forth the good sense and spirit of the People, no deficiency in either, will be found." - Letter to Rufus King, June 25, 1797

"I am clearly in sentiment with you that every man who is in the vigor of life, ought to serve his country, in whatever line it requires and he is fit for." - Letter to David Humphreys, June 26, 1797

"I wish from my soul that the legislature of this State could see a policy of a gradual Abolition of Slavery." - Letter to Lawrence Lewis, August 4, 1797

"Candor is not a more conspicuous trait in the character of Governments than it is of individuals." - Letter to Timothy Pickering, August 29, 1797

"The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize." - Farewell Address, September 19, 1797

"If a person only sees, or directs from day to day what is to be done, business can never go on methodically or well, for in case of sickness, or the absence of the Director, delays must follow. System to all things is the soul of business. To deliberate maturely, and execute promptly is the way to conduct it to advantage. With me, it has always been a maxim, rather to let my designs appear from my works than by my expressions." - Letter to James Anderson, December 21, 1797

"The man who does not estimate time as money will forever miscalculate; for altho' the latter is not paid for the former, it is nevertheless a sure item in the cost of any undertaking." - Letter to James Anderson, December 21, 1797

"System in all things should be aimed at; for in execution it renders every thing more easy." - Letter to George Washington Parke Custis, January 7, 1798

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"Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may, for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practice will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public or private walks of life." - Letter to George Washington Parke Custis, January 7, 1798

"It has been a maxim with me from early life, never to undertake anything without perceiving a door to the accomplishment, in a reasonable time and with my own resources." - Letter to Thomas Law, May 7, 1798

"A fear that your application to books is not such as it ought to be, and that the hours that might be more profitably employed at your studies are misspent in this manner. Recollect again the saying of the wise man, "There is a time for all things," and sure I am this is not a time for a boy of your age to enter into engagements which might end in sorrow and repentance." - Letter to George Washington Parke Custis, June 13, 1798

"The Inspector General, Quartermaster General, Adjutant General, and Officer commanding the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers, ought to be men of the most respectable character, and of first-rate abilities; because, from the nature of their respective offices, and from their being always about the Commander-in-Chief, who is obliged to entrust many things to them confidentially, scarcely any movement can take place without their knowledge... Besides possessing the qualifications just mentioned, they ought to have those of Integrity and prudence in an eminent degree, that entire confidence might be reposed in them. Without these, and their being on good terms with the Commanding General, his measures, if not designedly thwarted, may be so embarrassed as to make them move heavily on." - Letter to James McHenry, July 4, 1798

"Humanity and feeling for the sick and wounded of an army call loudly for skill, attention, and economy in the director of the hospitals." - Letter to James McHenry, July 4, 1798

"Satisfied therefore, that you have sincerely wished and endeavoured to avert war, and exhausted to the last drop, the cup of reconciliation, we can with pure hearts appeal to Heaven for the justice of our cause, and may confidently trust the final result to that kind Providence who has heretofore, and so often, signally favoured the People of these United States." - Letter to President John Adams, July 13, 1798

"It is much easier at all times to prevent an evil than to rectify mistakes." - Letter to James McHenry, August 10, 1798

"It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones." - Letter to James McHenry, August 10, 1798

"It is an invariable maxim with me, never, before hand, and until the moment requires it, to pledge myself by promises which I might find embarrassing to comply with." - Letter to Charles Carroll, August 2, 1798

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"My first wish would be, that my military family and the whole army should consider themselves as a band of brothers, willing and ready to die for each other." - Letter to Henry Knox, October 21, 1798

"It was not my intention to doubt that, the Doctrines of the Illuminati, and principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more truly satisfied of this fact than I am. The idea that I meant to convey, was, that I did not believe that the Lodges of Free Masons in this Country had, as Societies, endeavoured to propagate the diabolical tenets of the first, or pernicious principles of the latter (if they are susceptible of separation). That Individuals of them may have done it, or that the founder, or instrument employed to found, the Democratic Societies in the United States, may have had these objects; and actually had a separation of the People from their Government in view, is too evident to be questioned." - Letter to Rev. G. W. Snyder, October 24, 1798

"Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party, generally." - Farewell Address, September 19, 1798

"And which allows me to add little more now, than thanks for your kind wishes and favourable sentiments, except to correct an error you have run into, of my Presiding over the English lodges in this Country. The fact is, I preside over none, nor have I been in one more than once or twice, within the last thirty years. I believe notwithstanding, that none of the Lodges in this Country are contaminated with the principles ascribed to the Society of the Illuminati. With respect I am &c." - Letter to G. W. Snyder, September 25, 1798

"To give you a Complete View of the politics and Situation of things in this Country would far exceed the limits of a letter; and to trace effects to their Causes would be a work of time. But the sum of them maybe given in a few words, and amounts to this. That a party exists in the United States, formed by a Combination of Causes, which oppose the Government in all its measures, and are determined (as all their Conduct evinces) by Clogging its Wheels indirectly to change the nature of it, and to Subvert the Constitution. To effect this no means which have a tendency to accomplish their purposes are left unessayed. The friends of Government who are anxious to maintain its neutrality, and to preserve the Country in peace, and adopt measures to produce these, are charged by them as being Monarchists, Aristocrats, and infractors of the Constitution; which according to their Interpretation of it would be a mere Cypher; while they arrogated to themselves, (until the eyes of the people began to discover how outrageously they had been treated in their Commercial concerns by the Directory of France, and that, that was a ground on which they could no longer tread). the sole merit of being the friends of France, when in fact they had no more regard for that Nation than for the Grand Turk, further than their own views were promoted by it; denouncing those who differed in Opinion; whose principles are purely American; and whose sole view was to observe a strict neutrality, with acting under British influence, and being directed by her counsels, now with being her Pensioners..." - Letter to the Marquis de Lafayette, December 25, 1798

"The views of men can only be known, or guessed at, by their words or actions." - Letter to Patrick Henry, January 15, 1799

"The favourable sentiments which others, you say, have been pleased to express respecting me, cannot but be pleasing to a mind who always walked on a straight line, and endeavoured as far as human frailties, and perhaps strong passions, would enable him, to discharge the relative duties to his Maker and fellowmen, without seeking any indirect or left handed attempts to acquire popularity." - Letter to Rev. Bryan Fairfax (Lord Fairfax), January 20, 1799

"On reconsidering the uniform for the Commander-in-Chief as it respects myself personally, I was against all embroidery. Do not conceive that fine clothes make fine men any more than fine feathers make fine birds. A plain genteel dress is more admired, and obtains more credit than lace and embroidery, in the Eyes of the judicious and sensible." - Letter to James McHenry, January 27, 1799

Learn more about George Washington at our George Washington Facts page.

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If you enjoyed the George Washington Quote page, check out these inspirational quotes from some other Founding Fathers

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