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An enlightened zeal for the energy and efficiency of government will be stigmatized, as the offspring of a temper fond of despotic power, and hostile to the principles of liberty.

Alexander Hamilton

Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Government Justice Man Passion Reason
A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Mistake Person
Unless your government is respectable, foreigners will invade your rights; and to maintain tranquillity, it must be respectable – even to observe neutrality, you must have a strong government.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Government Respect Right Strong Yourself
The very aim and intention of the democratical part, or the house of commons, is to secure the rights of the people. It’s very being depends upon those rights. Its whole power is derived from them, and must be terminated by them.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Democracy People Power Right Secure
If the sword of oppression be permitted to lop off one limb without opposition, reiterated strokes will soon dismember the whole body.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Body Oppression
An avaricious man might be tempted to betray the interests of the state for the acquisition of wealth.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Loyalty Man Rich
Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Ambition Hope Option Ourselves Peace War
Happy will it be if our choice should be directed by a judicious estimate of our true interests, unperplexed and unbiased by considerations not connected with the public good. But this is a thing more ardently to be wished than seriously to be expected.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Choice Connection Direction Goodness Happiness Serious True
Vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Government Liberty Security
Caution and investigation are a necessary armor against error and imposition.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Necessary Philosophy
The kindred blood which flows in the veins of American citizens, the mingled blood which they have shed in defense of their sacred rights, consecrate their Union, and excite horror at the idea of their becoming aliens, rivals, enemies.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Citizenship Enemy Excitement Right
Give all the power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, they will oppress the many.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Oppression Power
The government is frequently and aptly classed under two descriptions – a government of force, and a government of laws; the first is the definition of despotism- the last, of liberty.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Force Government Law Liberty
I have thought it my duty to exhibit things as they are, not as they ought to be.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Myself Responsibility
The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Best Hope People
Experience is the oracle of truth; and where its responses are unequivocal, they ought to be conclusive and sacred.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Experience Philosophy Truth
All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well-born, the other the mass of the people.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Born Community People Rich
A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Country Danger Disagree Nation
There are seasons in every country when noise and impudence pass current for worth; and in popular commotions especially, the clamors of interested and factious men are often mistaken for patriotism.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Man Mistake Nation Patriot Season Worth
The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Best Hope People
A strong body makes the mind strong, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Advice Body Independence Mindset Strong Weapon
Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Design Loyalty Man People
Dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Ambition Appearance Danger Government People Right
To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights, privileges, and protection.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Enjoyment People Protection Purpose
The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Divine Hands Human Right Writing
Have we not already seen enough of the fallacy and extravagance of those idle theories which have amused us with promises of an exemption from the imperfections, weaknesses and evils incident to society in every shape?
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Enough Evil Imperfection Promise Seen Weakness
In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Mad Politics Religious Weapon

An enlightened zeal for the energy and efficiency of government will be stigmatized, as the offspring of a temper fond of despotic power, and hostile to the principles of liberty.

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An enlightened zeal for the energy and efficiency of government will be stigmatized, as the offspring of a temper fond of despotic power, and hostile to the principles of liberty.

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Popular Authors

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