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 HAMILTONHave 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?
More Alexander Hamilton Quotes
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Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates.
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Experience is the oracle of truth; and where its responses are unequivocal, they ought to be conclusive and sacred.
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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.
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A powerful, victorious ally is yet another name for master.
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Nobody expects to trust his body overmuch after the age of fifty.
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The inquiry constantly is what will please, not what will benefit the people. In such a government there can be nothing but temporary expedient, fickleness, and folly.
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Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.
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When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation.
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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.
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We must make the best of those ills which cannot be avoided.
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Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
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I never expect a perfect work from an imperfect man.
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In the general course of human nature, A power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power over his will.
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Men are reasoning rather than reasonable animals.
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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.
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The pains taken to preserve peace include a proportional responsibility that equal pains be taken to be prepared for war.
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An avaricious man might be tempted to betray the interests of the state for the acquisition of wealth.
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To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights, privileges, and protection.
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If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
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The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.
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Nature of war to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority.
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Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments.
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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.
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Here, sir, the people govern; here they act by their immediate representatives.
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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 -
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