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The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

James Madison

A pure democracy is a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person.
JAMES MADISON

Administer Assemble Citizen Consist Democracy Government Number Pure Small Society
Learned Institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people.
JAMES MADISON

Favourite Free Institution Learn Object Ought People
The number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood, and the devotion of the people have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the state.
JAMES MADISON

Devotion Industry Mainfrstly Morality Number People Priesthood
There is no maxim, in my opinion, which is more liable to be misapplied, and which, therefore, more needs elucidation, than the current one, that the interest of the majority is the political standard of right and wrong.
JAMES MADISON

Elucidation Liable Maxim Misappled More Need Opinion Therefore
What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch of commerce when he knows not that his plans may be rendered unlawful before they can be executed?
JAMES MADISON

Branch Commerce Hazard Merchant Plan Prudent Unlawful
A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.
JAMES MADISON

Free Instructed People Permanent Well
The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
JAMES MADISON

Advantage Arm Being Constitution Country Every People Possess Preserve
Despotism can only exist in darkness, and there are too many lights now in the political firmament to permit it to remain anywhere, as it has heretofore done, almost everywhere.
JAMES MADISON

Darkness Exist Firmament Light Many Now Political
A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.
JAMES MADISON

Arm Best Body Compose Defense Militia Most Natural People Regulated Trained
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
JAMES MADISON

Ambition Counteract Made
I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
JAMES MADISON

Abridgement Believe Encroachment Freedom Gradual Instance More People Silent
It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.
JAMES MADISON

Amde Avail Choice Law Little Men Own
In no instance have… the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people.
JAMES MADISON

Church Guardian Instance Liberation People
War contains so much folly, as well as wickedness, that much is to be hoped from the progress of reason.
JAMES MADISON

Contain Folly Hope Progress Reason Well Wickedness
The rights of persons, and the rights of property, are the objects, for the protection of which Government was instituted.
JAMES MADISON

Government Institute Object Person Property Protection Right
The class of citizens who provide at once their own food and their own raiment, may be viewed as the most truly independent and happy.
JAMES MADISON

Citizen Class Food Independent Mostly Own Provide Raiment True View

The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

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The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

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Popular Authors

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