I have done for my country, and for all mankind, all that I could do, and I now resign my soul, without fear, to my God - my daughter to my country.
Interpretation
This quote expresses a deep sense of duty and surrender to both a higher power and a nation, reflecting on personal sacrifice and responsibility.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson articulates his commitment to serving his country and humanity at large, suggesting that he has given his all in his efforts. It reflects the profound human experience of balancing personal sacrifice, religious faith, and allegiance, as he resigns his soul to God while entrusting his daughter to the nation he has served, highlighting the interconnectedness of personal and public duty.
In practice
During a remembrance ceremony for veterans, one might quote Jefferson to honor those who have served.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
We must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
If I could reach from pole to pole_x000D_ or grasp the ocean with a span,_x000D_ I would be measured by the soul_x000D_ The mind's the standard of the Man.
The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls-no matter what their label-these somnambulists are the greatest threat to humanity, other than humanity itself.
If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: search after Truth through non-violent means. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth.
When I circled the moon and looked back at Earth, my outlook on life and my viewpoint of Earth changed... Earth is a spaceship, just like Apollo - and just like Apollo, the crew must learn to live and work together. We must learn to manage the resources of this world with new imagination.
Down in Denver, all I did was die.
I don't believe in men waiting until they are ready to die before using any of their money for helpful purposes.
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