Home › By Author › George Washington
Quotes by George Washington
A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends; and that the most liberal professions of good-will are very far from being the surest marks of it.— filed under Action
I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an "Honest Man."— filed under Character
A great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle [patriotism] alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward.— filed under Vii
Banister. Valley Forge, April 21, 1778. To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.— filed under Vii
Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called Conscience. и.— filed under Conscience
Defend me from my friends; I can defend myself from my enemies. The French Ana. Assigned to MARSHAL VILLARS taking leave of LOUIS XIV. A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man, that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends; and that the most liberal professions of good-will are very far from being the surest marks of it.— filed under Friends
True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation.— filed under Fruits
As to pay, Sir, I beg leave to assure the Congress that as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept this arduous employment at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any profit from it.— filed under Gain
It [gaming] is the child of avarice, the brother of inquity, and the father of mischief.— filed under Garden
Slaves. I never mean, unless some particular circumstances should compel me to do it, to possess another slave by purchase, it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted by which slavery in this country may be abolished by law.— filed under Slavery
Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.— filed under Virtue
Men's minds are as variant as their faces. Where the motives of their actions are pure, the operation of the former is no more to be imputed to them as a crime, than the appearance of the latter; for both, being the work of nature, are alike unavoidable.— filed under Motive