Famous Thomas Jefferson Quote 

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
We must make our election between economy and liberty
or profusion and servitude.
If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and
in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and
our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...
[we will] have no time to think,
no means of calling our miss-managers to account
but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves
to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers...
And this is the tendency of all human governments.
A departure from principle in one instance
becomes a precedent for [another ]...
till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery...
And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt.
Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."

by:
Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source:
Letter to Samuel Kercheval, Monticello, July 12, 1816
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Anonymous 
Our 'rulers' seem increasingly to be corporations. Somehow this seems to escape notice.
 -- Terry Berg, Occidental, CA		 
This needs to be sent to the white house with MILLIONS OF CITIZENS SIGNATURES ATTACHED!
 -- Jerry Penny, Rockwall Texas		 
This quote was prophetic and in reaction to what, I believe, the settlers saw as a dangerous and socially debilitating entity: the government. It is happening and will continue until society is again reduced to serfdom.
 -- Eugene T. King, New York		 
We must awaken every US citizen to what our "rulers" are doing to us. We must all act to stop it, such as implementing term limits on our representatives, and eliminating the IRS and income taxes. Hold our representatives accountable (loss of office, perhaps fines or prison) for NOT upholding the oath they swore ... to defend the Constitution.
 -- Joel, Rochester, MI		 
 -- Dick Trice, Fort Worth, TX 
Which of the mice will be bold enough to tie a bell on the cat? And still survive, of course! The speed of his probable demise will only be exceeded by the haste with which the other mice distance themslves from him and run for shelter in their holes.
 -- john-douglas, nassau		 
 -- Rick B, New York City 
Not only was this prophetic, but Jefferson knew his history: these schemes had failed in the paste, namely, with the Roman Empire. We are knee-deep in the molasses of debt, and EVERYTHING he stated has surely come to pass. http://www.geocities.com/rebornempowered/mandrake/mandrake.htm
 -- David, Wichita		 
Ron Paul 2008!
 -- Anonymous		 
THIS IS WHAT WE GET WHEN WE FAIL TO REMEMBER OUR HISTORY AND ACT SO THESE THINGS WON'T HAPPEN AND NOW WE ARE AT A POINT OF NO RETURN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO OUR DUTY AS AMERICANS AND RESCUE OURSELVES BEFORE IT WAS TO LATE INDEED IT IS TO LATE!!!!!
 -- Anonymous		 
Thomas Jefferson was our prophetic American Revolution version of Nostradamus.
 -- Melissa, Texas		 
You did it to your own selves. Justice is what supports our currency; keep electing crooks and refuse to accord women equal protection but lie and pretend you have and debt is what results: Being in the red - a negative bond rate or actual blood as people die. It is not too late as I'm in federal court suing over this very issue as the real, actual reason you cannot elect persons who break the law by purchasing the office of the Executive i.e. Executive Order or justice which then is the purchase our very lives ad/or do business with nations like China (or grant corportations who do unfair advantage via policy) is it is not possible for their citizens to return the honor bond which every US dollar is: a life and death signed federal honor bound contract- exactyl like our Declaration and Constitution. And yes, I thoroughly enjoy having been proven correct regarding almost everything I ever said. I am not a prophet but a scientist as the economy is a science not a religion as some of you seem to believe. Voodoo economics indeed...if I had not already risen from my grave I would have when you allowed the Congress to give their fellow crooks who then in turn fund their campaigns MORE MONEY as a reward for violating the law of the US and of physics. Minting money is not the same as printing it up to fund your legislation; that - printing it up to then fund your legislation when it does not exist? - that would be creating energy, a power reserved to God not Congress. Congress is now in violation of physics as well as the Constitution.
 -- T. Jefferson, Neptune Beach, FL		 
What a man! He is right on. Reagan/Bush/Bush has put us into debt and now we must be taxed to pay for it. Jefferson is prophetic. We will have more freedom and money once we pay off our debt, lets get started!
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
 -- Mike, Norwalk 
As if Obama was not taking us into debt beyond our belief.......... Government, Government hacks, the National Education Association, and those who profess to be religious who argue that Jefferson's letter to Danbury was part of the constitution with "Separation" should really promote these words as being part of the US Constitution! bnyoung@metrocast.net
 -- Niel Young, Laconia,NH		 
This quote is an example of why the "powers-that-be" in our present society want to erase or edit what is taught in our schools, about the history of the U.S.A. Forewarned is forearmed, and everything Jefferson said in that quote is proving to be true, with this administration sealing our doom (which they call "CHANGE,") and seducing the naive Liberals that idolize Obama and his policies... with no thought to the chilling outcome of such an agenda.
 -- Nancy Grigsby, Franklin		 
Niel you must realize that only money spent by republicans are waste. All money spent by Obama and any dem does not count. Waffler has never and will never take his head out of the sand.
 -- warren, olathe		 
FRANKLY MY FELLOW PATRIOTS, I THINK IT IS PAST TIME TO LOCK AND LOAD BEFORE OBUMMER GETS ALL OUR AMMO ROUNDED UP
 -- Victor, Oliver Springs Tn.		 
Let us get started to pay the debt we have racked up. Jefferson is right and it is time for our wretchedness and oppression. Thanks to Reagan/Bush/Bush we have more than earned it. Since we were stupid enough to suffer them now we must suffer ourselves for our stupidity.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
And Obama takes us further away from the principles that employed to form the greatest country on earth. Our illustrious president is completely lacking in knowledge about the dangers of leviathan indebtedness. And oppression is progressing at the speed of light in 2009.
 -- Nancy, Marion		 
Obama ignores all warnings and education provided by those wise Founders that created the most powerful and wonderful nation on earth. What you see occurring now cannot be blamed on Bush, though he certainly contributed, for what you see happening now is purely Obama's doing; Obama's far outdone the previous administration and leads us headlong into the abyss.
 -- Nancy, Marion		 
Read the Healthcare bill (HR3200) on thomas.loc/gov 1,018 pages. I read it all. I was speechless and shocked, but not surprised. I wonder how many legislators have actually taken the time to go over it with a "fine tooth comb"? Jefferson lives through his great words of wisdom. He laid the foundation of this nation. Oh, if he was only alive today!
 -- A Jefferson Fan, CT		 
Another reason, Thomas Jefferson was my favorite president. If anyone claims to be smarter than our Founding Fathers, they have a serious problem...LOL. This should definitely be sent to the politicians in Washington D.C. by many and signed with our names at the bottom in agreement. TJ rocks!
 -- Anonymous		 
I wonder if Jefferson would have sold our childrens futures to CHINA .Our gov. has forgotten the basics on how this country was built and who gave there lives so our children can live FREE .
 -- Robert Moody, Sugar Land Texas		 
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