James Madison

oppressor tyrannize army enslaved press unarmed populace

"Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

free republic impossibility wealth concentrated bayonets laws

"We are free today substantially, but the day will come when our Republic will be an impossibility. It will be an impossibility because wealth will be concentrated in the hands of a few. A Republic cannot stand upon bayonets, and when the day comes when the wealth of the nation will be in the hands of a few, then we must rely upon the wisdom of the best elements in the country to readjust the laws of the nations to the changed conditions."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

constitution purpose restrict majority harm minority

"The purpose of the Constitution is to restrict the majority's ability to harm a minority."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

disarm people enslave

"Disarm the people- that is the best and most effective way to enslave them."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

nation taken within

"If our nation is ever taken over, it will be taken over from within."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

tyranny oppression guise fight foreig enemy

"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

man govern himself someone else

"If man is not fit to govern himself, how can he be fit to govern someone else?"

— James Madison (1751-1836)

crisis rallying cry tyrant

"Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

knowledge govern ignorance people power

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

future nation government consitution ourselves commandments

"We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

people deprive speak speech press liberty

"The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

definition tyranny powers concentrated

"The very definition of tyranny is when all powers are gathered under one place."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

armies debts taxes instruments many domination fes

"Armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

avail people laws voluminous read incoherent understood

"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 (1751-1836)

error certain hasty superficial view subject

"No error is more certain than the one proceeding from a hasty and superficial view of the subject."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

enlightened statesmen helm

"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

civil rights religion worship conscience

"The civil rights of none, shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext infringed."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

history money changers abuse deceit violence control governm

"History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and it's issuance."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

exess power opinion person property

"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 (1751-1836)

separation church state strife blood Europe religion

"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 (1751-1836)

democracy people chose tyrant

"Democracy was the right of the people to choose their own tyrant."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

accumulation powers few hands tyranny

"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

philosophy common sense big words

"Philosophy is common sense with big words."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

employment poor support indigent public authority

"To provide employment for the poor, and support for the indigent, is among the primary, and, at the same time, not least difficult cares of the public authority."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

more abridgement freedom gradual silent sudden usurpation

“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

— James Madison (1751-1836)

defence foreig danger instrument tyranny

“The means of defence against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home.”

— James Madison (1751-1836)

power mistrusted

“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.”

— James Madison (1751-1836)

religious bondage religion shackle mind

“Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind, and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect."

— James Madison (1751-1836)

nation preserve freedom continual warfare

“No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.”

— James Madison (1751-1836)

learned institutions free people light public mind liberty

“Learned institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public liberty.”

— James Madison (1751-1836)

democracy vile government

“Democracy is the most vile form of government.”

— James Madison (1751-1836)