Adams, John -- Letter (1813-07-09) to Thomas Jefferson

Dave — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:24:14 +0000

Your “ἄρiςτοi” [aristocrats] are the most difficult Animals to manage, of any thing in the whole Theory and practice of Government. They will not Suffer themselves to be governed. They not only exert all their own Subtilty Industry and courage, but they employ the Commonalty, to knock to pieces every Plan and Model that the most honest Architects in Legislation can invent to keep them within bounds.

John Adams (1735–1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797–1801)
Letter (1813-07-09) to Thomas Jefferson
(Source)

Mill, John Stuart -- Letter to Giussepe Mazzini (15 Apr 1858)

Dave — Tue, 09 May 2017 23:08:26 +0000

The English, of all ranks and classes, are at bottom, in all their feelings, aristocrats. They have some concept of liberty, & set some value on it, but the very idea of equality is strange & offensive to them. They do not dislike to have many people above them as long as they have some below them.

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) English philosopher and economist
Letter to Giussepe Mazzini (15 Apr 1858)
(Source)

WIST Quotations

Adams, John -- Letter (1813-07-09) to Thomas Jefferson

Mill, John Stuart -- Letter to Giussepe Mazzini (15 Apr 1858)