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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

The protection of these faculties is the first object of government.
JAMES MADISON

Faculty First Government Object Protection
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
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
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
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
The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to an uniformity of interests.
JAMES MADISON

Diversity Faculty Insuperable Man Obstacle Originate Property Right
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
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
If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
JAMES MADISON

Angel Government Men Necessary
As a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights.
JAMES MADISON

Equal Man Property Right Said
And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that religion and Government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.
JAMES MADISON

Done Doubt Every Example Less Mix New Past Religion Succeed Together
A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.
JAMES MADISON

Free Instructed People Permanent Well
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
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
JAMES MADISON

Advantage Diffusion Guardian Knowledge Liberty Only True
The circulation of confidence is better than the circulation of money.
JAMES MADISON

Better Circulation Confidence Money
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

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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