The Federalist Papers Quotes

‎"Preach, my dear Sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish and improve the law for educating the common people. Let our countrymen know, that the people alone can protect us against these evils, and that the tax which will be paid for this purpose, is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles, who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance."

– Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Wythe, August 13, 1786; ME 5:397

After the discussion on the old site about the desire to learn more about the founding documents this quote seemed like a good one for our purpose here.

"But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years." --Thomas Jefferson

‎"As every Freeman, to preserve his Independence, (if he has not a sufficient Estate) ought to have some Profession, Calling, Trade, or Farm, whereby he may honestly subsist, there can be no Necessity for, nor Use in, establishing Offices of Profit; the usual Effects of which are Dependance and Servility, unbecoming Freemen, in the Possessors and Expectants; Faction, Contention, Corruption, and Disorder among the People. Wherefore, whenever an Office, thro' Increase of Fees or otherwise, becomes so profitable, as to occasion many to apply for it, the Profits ought to be lessened by the Legislature."

– Benjamin Franklin, Constitution of Pennsylvania Article 36, "Information for Those Who Would Remove to America," September 1782; Writings 9:605

To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.

Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816

"It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution."

~ Thomas Jefferson, "Notes On Virginia" Query 19

As useless laws debilitate such as are necessary, so those that may be easily eluded weaken the legislation. Every law ought to have its effect, and no one should be suffered to deviate from it by a particular exception.

Charles de Montesquieu, The Spirit of The Laws, Book XXIX, Chapter 16, 1748

To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.

Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816

Mr. Jefferson had nothing to do with The Federalist Papers.

These days my favorite quote is from Federalist No. 28 (Hamilton):

"If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers, may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual state. In a single state, if the persons intrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair."

ML/NJ

The Federalist Papers Quotes are from the Facebook page and their site. I just used it as a quick title for the thread. They are a great resource for the founding father's writings. Most of the time the quotes that are posted coincide with the latest issue that is the current crisis from this administration. One thing that I've been learning is that the Founding Fathers were wise beyond their years. In one of the other threads some of us discussed how limited our education was on this vital information due to various reasons.

By all means please post your favorite quotes that we need to know today. That is the purpose of this thread. Hopefully some discussion can grow from it.

Be not intimidated, therefore, by any terrors, from publishing with the utmost freedom, whatever can be warranted by the laws of your country; nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretenses of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery, and cowardice.

John Adams, A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law (1765)

But there is only one thing which gathers people into seditious commotion, and that is oppression.

John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions."

– James Madison, Federalist No. 51, "The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments," Independent Journal, February 6, 1788; Rossiter p. 319