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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

I should not regret a fair and full trial of the entire abolition of capital punishment.
JAMES MADISON

Abolition Capital Entire Fair Punishment Regret Trail
We are right to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties.
JAMES MADISON

Alarm Experiment First Liberty Right
In Republics, the great danger is, that the majority may not sufficiently respect the rights of the minority.
JAMES MADISON

Danger Great Majority May Minority Republic Respect Right Sufficiency
Each generation should be made to bear the burden of its own wars, instead of carrying them on, at the expense of other generations.
JAMES MADISON

Bear Burden Each Generation Made Own War
If we are to take for the criterion of truth the majority of suffrages, they ought to be gotten from those philosophic and patriotic citizens who cultivate their reason.
JAMES MADISON

Criterion Gotten Majority Philosophic Suffrage Take Truth Ught
All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.
JAMES MADISON

Certain Degree Distrusted Men Ought Powe
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
The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war.
JAMES MADISON

Case Decide Declare Executive Question Right War
All that seems indispensible in stating the account between the dead and the living, is to see that the debts against the latter do not exceed the advances made by the former.
JAMES MADISON

Account Advance Between Debt Former Indispensible Live Made State
Whenever a youth is ascertained to possess talents meriting an education which his parents cannot afford, he should be carried forward at the public expense.
JAMES MADISON

Ascertain Education Expense Forward Meet Posses Public Talent Youth
A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.
JAMES MADISON

Free Instructed People Permanent Well
The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the state governments, in times of peace and security.
JAMES MADISON

Danger Extensive Federal Government Important Most Operation Time War
What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?
JAMES MADISON

Government Human Itself Nature Reflection
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
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
What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable, than that of Liberty and Learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support?
JAMES MADISON

Edify Learn Liberty More Other Seasonable Spectacle
The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.
JAMES MADISON

Ceaseless Church Country Dhore Forever Purpose Separation Soak Soil State Strifem
Let me recommend the best medicine in the world: a long journey, at a mild season, through a pleasant country, in easy stages.
JAMES MADISON

Country Journey Leasant Mild Pleasant Season
Any reading not of a vicious species must be a good substitute for the amusements too apt to fill up the leisure of the labouring classes.
JAMES MADISON

Class Good Labour Leisure Read Species Substitute Vicious
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.
JAMES MADISON

All Men Mistrust Ought Power Truth
Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions.
JAMES MADISON

Duly Excess Power Prevail Property Respect Sort
The personal right to acquire property, which is a natural right, gives to property, when acquired, a right to protection, as a social right.
JAMES MADISON

Acquire Personal Properly Property Protection Right Social
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
Wherever there is interest and power to do wrong, wrong will generally be done.
JAMES MADISON

Done Generally Interest Power Wrong
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
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
I have no doubt but that the misery of the lower classes will be found to abate whenever the Government assumes a freer aspect and the laws favor a subdivision of Property.
JAMES MADISON

Abate Assume Class Doubt Found Government Misery

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.

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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.

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Popular Authors

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