“I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.”

Letter to David Hartley (2 July 1787) https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-11-02-0441
1780s
Context: I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master. Could the contrary of this be proved, I should conclude either that there is no god, or that he is a malevolent being.

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Thomas Jefferson 456
3rd President of the United States of America 1743–1826

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