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What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?

James Madison

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
By rendering the labor of one, the property of the other, they cherish pride, luxury, and vanity on one side; on the other, vice and servility, or hatred and revolt.
JAMES MADISON

Cherish Labor Luxury Other Pride Property Render Vanity
To the press alone, chequered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression.
JAMES MADISON

Abuse Alone Chequered Press
Americans have the right and advantage of being armed – unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
JAMES MADISON

Advantage Arm Being Citizen Country Government People Right Trust
A man has a property in his opinions and the free communication of them.
JAMES MADISON

Communication Free Man Opinion Property
The people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of government hold their power, is derived.
JAMES MADISON

Charter Constitution Fountain Legimitate People Power
I entirely concur in the propriety of resorting to the sense in which the Constitution was accepted and ratified by the nation. In that sense alone it is the legitimate Constitution.
JAMES MADISON

Proprietor Accept Concur Constitution Entire Resort Sense
The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.
JAMES MADISON

Against Danger Defense Foreign Historical Home Instrument Mean Tyranny
The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.
JAMES MADISON

Abuse Essence Government Hand Human Liable Lodge Must Power
To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.
JAMES MADISON

Form Government Happiness Liberty People Secure Suppose Virtue
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
JAMES MADISON

Ambition Counteract Made
Wherever there is interest and power to do wrong, wrong will generally be done.
JAMES MADISON

Done Generally Interest Power Wrong
The internal effects of a mutable policy poisons the blessings of liberty itself.
JAMES MADISON

Bless Effect Internal Itself Liberty Mutable Policy
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
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

What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?

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What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?

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