John Jay

of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers

as well as the privilege and interest

Real Christians will abstain from violating the rights of others, and therefore will not provoke war.

by extending the prevalence and influence of the gospel

It certainly is very desirable that a pacific disposition should prevail among all nations.

It is presumed, that juries are the best judges of facts; it is, on the other hand, presumed that courts are the best judges of law. But still both objects are within your power of decision ... You have a right to take it upon yourselves …

Every man of every color and description has a natural right to freedom.

Distrust naturally creates distrust, and by nothing is good-will and kind conduct more speedily changed than by invidious jealousies and uncandid imputations, whether expressed or implied.

for the purposes and objects merely personal, such as thirst for military glory, revenge for personal affronts, ambition, or private compacts to aggrandize or support their particular families or partisans. These and a variety of other …

nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it

each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights

To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people

This country and this people seem to have been made for each other, and it appears as if it was the design of Providence, that an inheritance so proper and convenient for a band of brethren, united to each other by the strongest ties, …

It is much to be wished that slavery may be abolished. The honour of the States, as well as justice and humanity, in my opinion, loudly call upon them to emancipate these unhappy people. To contend for our own liberty, and to deny that …

That men should pray and fight for their own freedom, and yet keep others in slavery, is certainly acting a very inconsistent, as well as unjust and, perhaps, impious part, but the history of mankind is filled with instances of human …

Our people had been so long accustomed to the practice and convenience of having slaves, that very few among them even doubted the propriety and rectitude of it. Some liberal and conscientious men had indeed, by their conduct and writings, …

Man, in his present state, appears to be a degraded creature; his best gold is mixed with dross, and his best motives are very far from being pure and free from earth and impurity.

We perceive that a great breach has been made in the moral and physical systems by the introduction of moral and physical evil; how or why, we know not; so, however, it is, and it certainly seems proper that this breach should be closed …

Among the strange things of this world, nothing seems more strange than that men pursuing happiness should knowingly quit the right and take a wrong road, and frequently do what their judgments neither approve nor prefer.

The Americans are the first people whom heaven has favoured with an opportunity of deliberating upon and choosing forms of government under which they should live.

No power on earth has a right to take our property from us without our consent.

Slaves, though held by the laws of men, are free by the laws of God.