We have the wolf by the ears; and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other.
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation
Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to John Holmes. 22 Apr. 1820.
Current Citation
Jefferson, Thomas. "John Holmes, April 22, 1820." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.