Post Scripts: Thomas Jefferson – one of the greatest of U.S. Presidents

This week marks the birthday anniversary of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. He was born April 13, 1743 and died July 4, 1826, the same day his longtime friend, the second president of the United States, John Adams, died. Just before Adams passed away, his last words were: "Thanks God, Jefferson lives!" But when word reached Jefferson’s home, Monticello, they, too, were in mourning since Jefferson had died that same day.

He died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence which was drafted by Jefferson, when he was 33. The capital of Missouri, Jefferson City, was named after him. Three other cities named after presidents were Jackson, Miss., Madison, Wisc., and Lincoln, Neb.

Jefferson was one of the most influential Founding Fathers. To date he is the only president to serve two full terms in office (1801-1809) without vetoing a single bill of Congress. He has been consistently ranked by scholars as one of the greatest of U.S. Presidents.

Some of Thomas Jefferson’s famous quotes are as follows. We Americans ought to read these truths more often.

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give it to those who would not."

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debt as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." (My personal comment – "This is a statement Americans ought to pay far more attention to.")

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. "

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. "

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

It is also interesting to note what Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802. "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations would deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."