George Washington, Farewell Address, September 17, 1796:

As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible.

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC to 43 BC:

The budget should be balanced. Public debt should be reduced. The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered, and assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt.

Thomas Jefferson

Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction.