John Adams (October, 1735– July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, and statesman who became the second President of the United States (1797–1801) (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams ).
John Adams on knowledge and democracy : “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing. Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the People, who have... a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean the characters and conduct of their rulers. There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free 'government' ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty. Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among people.” [1].
[1]. John Adams quotes, Quoteland.com: http://www.quoteland.com/author/John-Adams-Quotes/1351/ .