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“But in giving the right of suffrage to all free male citizens twenty-one years of age, it is not given to every man, because all men of that age are not citizens. Persons born in foreign countries and residing here are aliens, and are not entitled to the political rights of persons born in this country. They are presumed to have too little knowledge of our government, and to feel too little interest in public affairs on their first coming hither, to be duly qualified for the exercise of political power. Laws, however, have been enacted for naturalizing aliens after they shall have resided here long enough to become acquainted with and attached to our government.“—The Government Class Book, Andrew Yong, Chapter VI, Sec. 5 (PDF File)
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“I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the state, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
“This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but in those of the popular form it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy.
“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual, and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty.“—George Washington, Farewell Address*
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“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as they are injurious to others.“—Thomas Jefferson
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“It is a precedent fraught with danger for the country, for when Congress once begins to stretch its power beyond the limits of the Constitution, there is no limit to it and no security for the people… … the Constitution, to be worth anything, must be held sacred and rigidly observed in all its provisions.”—Colonel David Crockett member of the U.S. Congress Davy Crockett
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“The policy of the American government is to leave its citizens free, neither restraining them nor aiding them in their pursuits.“—Thomas Jefferson
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“The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards; it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors. They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood. It will bring a mark of everlasting infamy on the present generation – enlightened as it is – if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of designing men.” —Samuel Adams
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“A principal source of errors and injustice are false ideas of utility. For example: that legislator has false ideas of utility who considers particular more than general conveniencies, who had rather command the sentiments of mankind than excite them, who dares say to reason, ‘Be thou a slave;’ who would sacrifice a thousand real advantages to the fear of an imaginary or trifling inconvenience; who would deprive men of the use of fire for fear of their being burnt, and of water for fear of their being drowned; and who knows of no means of preventing evil but by destroying it.
The laws of this nature are those which forbid to wear arms, disarming those only who are not disposed to commit the crime which the laws mean to prevent. Can it be supposed, that those who have the courage to violate the most sacred laws of humanity, and the most important of the code, will respect the less considerable and arbitrary injunctions, the violation of which is so easy, and of so little comparative importance? Does not the execution of this law deprive the subject of that personal liberty, so dear to mankind and to the wise legislator? and does it not subject the innocent to all the disagreeable circumstances that should only fall on the guilty? It certainly makes the situation of the assaulted worse, and of the assailants better, and rather encourages than prevents murder, as it requires less courage to attack unarmed than armed persons.”—Cesare Beccaria, An Essay on Crimes & Punishments
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“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.”—Thomas Jefferson
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When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. 11. Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee. 12. And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: 13. In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God.—The Holy Bible, The Book of Deuteronomy.
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“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”—Patrick Henry
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“One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.”—Thomas Jefferson
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He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.—Thomas Paine
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“If ever there was a holy war, it was that which saved our liberties and gave us independence.”—Thomas Jefferson
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I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts—Abraham Lincoln
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Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.—George Washington
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“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”—Thomas Jefferson
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“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.”—Thomas Jefferson
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“Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.”—Herbert Hoover
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“The only justifiable purpose of political institutions is to ensure the unhindered development of the individual.”—Albert Einstein
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“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”—Thomas Jefferson
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“A man’s house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. This writ, if it should be declared legal, would totally annihilate this privilege. Custom-house officers may enter our houses when they please; we are commanded to permit their entry. Their menial servants may enter, may break locks, bars, and everything in their way; and whether they break through malice or revenge, no man, no court may inquire.”—James Otis
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“Only a government that is rich and safe can afford to be a democracy, for democracy is the most expensive and nefarious kind of government ever heard of on earth.”—Mark Twain
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“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be… if we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.”—Thomas Jefferson
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All rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary.—Andrew Jackson
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As long as our government is administered for the good of the people, and is regulated by their will; as long as it secures to us the rights of persons and property, liberty of conscience and of the press, it will be worth defending—Andrew Jackson
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“Fear not, the people may be deluded for a moment, but cannot be corrupted.”—Andrew Jackson
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“I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office.”—Andrew Jackson
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“About the time we can make the ends meet, somebody moves the ends.”—Herbert Hoover
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“A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”—George Bernard Shaw
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Tags: Bill of Rights, Constitution, Honor America Days, Quote, Tea Party
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