<p><span><strong>Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself had studied the previously failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, God's laws, and the nature of man.That happens to be way more than what most understand today. His is a voice from the past to lead us into the future. Quotes marked "(Attributed)" are attributed to Jefferson although unproven.</strong></span></p>
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<li>When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.</li>
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<li>The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. (Attributed)</li>
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<li>It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes, a principle which if acted on, would save one-half the wars of the world.</li>
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<li>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.</li>
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<li>My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. (Attributed)</li>
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<li>No free man shall ever be deprived the use of arms.</li>
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<li>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. (Attributed)</li>
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<li>The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.</li>
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<li>To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.</li>
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<li>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 that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. (anno domini 1802) </li>
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<li>And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever. --- <strong>Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 18, 1781</strong></li>
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<h3>When we post an email to this web site, to the best of our ability, we check the veracity of the content before posting. In the instant case, there appears to be conflicting opinions, and data, as to the actual author of these quotes. The former was researched by <a href="http://truthorfiction.com/rumors/j/jefferson-quotes.htm"><strong>Truth or Fiction</strong></a> who used the "Jeffersonian Cyclopedia", published in 1900 by Funk and Wagnalls, as their source.  We leave it to you to study both the former and the latter and decide for yourselves.</h3>
<p>Following is an excerpt from <strong><em><a href="http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/misquoting-jefferson/">MILLARD FILMORE"S BATHTUB</a></em></strong> , a website whose author disputes the quotes above are Thomas Jefferson's:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.calthomas.com/index.php?news=2493"><span style="color: #0066cc;">A commentary from Cal Thomas caught my eye </span></a>– little more than a few quotes from Thomas Jefferson strung together. Jefferson seems oddly prescient in these quotes, and, also oddly, rather endorsing the views of the right wing.</p>
<p>From the way the text is laid out, and the brevity of the piece, I’m guessing it’s a radio commentary.</p>
<p><strong>I read Jefferson often. I’ve read Jefferson a lot. I don’t recognize any of the quotes. </strong></p>
<p>So I plugged them into the <a href="http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&amp;staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1734"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Jefferson collection at Liberty Fund’s Online Library of Liberty</span></a>, which has a lot of Jefferson ready for full-text searching.</p>
<p><em><strong>Oops. None of the quotes scored a hit.</strong></em></p>
<p>Couldn’t find them in the <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Library of Congress’s on-line list of quotes</span></a>, either.</p>
<p><strong>It looks as though Jefferson didn’t say these things that are being attributed to him.</strong></p>
<p>Cal, is that you?</p>