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If, in my retirement to the humble station of a private citizen, I am accompanied with the esteem and approbation of my fellow citizens, trophies obtained by the bloodstained steel, or the tattered flags of the tented field, will never be envied. The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.
Jefferson, Thomas
Source: THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to the Republican Citizens of Washington County, Maryland, March 31, 1809.The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, ed. H. A. Washington, vol. 8, p. 165 . · This quote is tagged Uncategorised · Search on Google Books to find all references and sources for this quotation · Help your friends discover QB
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If, in my retirement to the humble station of a private citizen, I am accompanied with the esteem and approbation of my fellow citizens, trophies obtained by the bloodstained steel, or the tattered flags of the tented field, will never be envied. The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.