Alexander Hamilton

Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates.

You should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections without my consent.

When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation.

Men are rather reasoning than reasonable animals, for the most part governed by the impulse of passion.

To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people, each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights, privileges, and protection.

The honor of a nation is its life.

In the usual progress of things, the necessities of a nation in every stage of its existence will be found at least equal to its resources.

A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous.

Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others.

Nobody expects to trust his body overmuch after the age of fifty.

The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right.

There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.