Posts Tagged ‘American Founding Philosophy’
Democracy Corrupted: John Adams
Liberty Letters Quote of the Day, John Adams 1786 But when a new race of men grows up, these, no longer regarding equality and liberty, from being accustomed to them, aim at a greater share of power than the rest, particularly those of the greatest fortunes, who, grown now ambitious, and being unable to obtain the power they aim at by their own [...]
James Madison on a Well Regulated Militia
Liberty Letters, James Madison A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country. Source: James Madison, Selected Quotes
John Adams: A Defense of the Constitutions of the United States of America, Letter 11
Liberty Letters, John Adams, 1786 Aristocratical Republics: SWISS CANTON OF BERNE My dear Sir, IT is scarcely possible to believe that Mr. Turgot, by collecting all authority into one center, could have intended an aristocratical assembly. He must have meant, however, a simple form of government of some kind or other; and there are but [...]
James Madison: On a Just Partition of Power
Liberty Letters, James Madison It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the [...]
John Adams: A Defense of the Constitutions of the United States, Letter 5
Liberty Letters, John Adams, 1786 Democratical Republics: Switzerland, Appenzel SWITZERLAND My dear Sir, IT is commonly said, that some of the cantons of Switzerland are democratical, and others aristocratical: and if these epithets are understood only to mean, that one of these powers prevails in some of those republics, and the other in [...]
John Adams: A Defense of the Constitutions of the United States, Letter 4
Liberty Letters, John Adams, 1786 Democratical Republics: Biscay, The Grisons, The United Provinces of the Low Countries BISCAY Dear Sir, IN a research like this, after those people in Europe who have had the skill, courage, and fortune, to preserve a voice in the government, Biscay, in Spain, ought by no means to be omitted. While their [...]
John Adams: A Defense of the Constitutions of the United States, Letter 1
Liberty Letters, John Adams GROSVENOR-SQUARE, October 4, 1786. My dear Sir, THREE writers in Europe, of great abilities, reputation, and learning, Mr. Turgot, the Abbé De Mably, and Dr. Price, have turned their attention to the constitutions of government in the United States of America, and have written and published their criticisms [...]
An Interesting Resurrection
American Gumbo with Diane Alden In regards to The Federalist Papers page at Facebook, a group studying the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, as well as the philosophy of America's Founders, Diane Alden writes: This is an interesting resurrection of the documents that present the basic concepts and ideas of the founders ... when you want to [...]
Democratic Thinker: Samuel and John Adams on Govt., Letter 2
Four Letters on the Important Subject of Government An exchange of letters between cousins Samuel Adams and John Adams—written in 1790 and published in a small pamphlet in 1802—illustrates the differing political philosophies of Samuel, for the Republicans (Democrats), and John, for the Federalists (Whigs). Their disciples have followed [...]
Remember, Natural and Revealed Law are Divine –James Wilson
American Minute with Bill Federer He was one of six founding fathers to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. President Washington appointed him to the Supreme Court. Born in Scotland, he was an active delegate at the Constitutional Convention, speaking 168 times. His name was James Wilson and he died AUGUST 21, [...]
Fundamental Right of Societies, Clubs, and Nations
Liberty Letters Quote of the Day, Gouvernor Morris Every society from a great nation down to a club has a right of declaring the conditions on which new members should be admitted. Source: Madison's Notes on the Federal Convention, August 9, 1787, Gouvernor Morris: delegate from Pennsylvania. Liberty Letters are compiled and edited (with [...]
Fisher Ames: Equality Number 1 — Democratic Thinker
American Debate In a series of papers published in 1801, Fisher Ames unleashes one of the Federalist’s most scathing attacks on the Anti-Federalist’s unbridled democratic principles. Ames does so by drawing their principles to their logical conclusions—illustrating his conclusions with the unprincipled actions of the European democrats [...]
From Such Liberty, O Lord Deliver Us! — Noah Webster
Liberty Letters Quote of the Day, Noah Webster But I cannot quit this subject without attempting to correct some of the erroneous opinions respecting freedom and tyranny, and the principles by which they are supported. Many people seem to entertain an idea, that liberty consists in a power to act without any control. This is more liberty than [...]
Christian Freemen — John Dickinson
Liberty Letters Quote of the Day, John Dickinson Let us consider ourselves as MEN — FREEMEN — CHRISTIAN FREEMEN — separated from the rest of the world, and firmly bound together by the same rights, interests and dangers. Let these keep our attention inflexibly fixed on the GREAT OBJECTS, which we must CONTINUALLY REGARD, in order to [...]
That Eternal Immutable Law Obligatory Upon All — Alexander Hamilton
American Minute with Bill Federer He intentionally fired into the air, but his political rival, Aaron Burr, took deadly aim and fatally shot him in a duel JULY 11, 1804. Born in the West Indies, he fought in the Revolution and was aide-de-camp to General Washington. He helped write the Constitution and convinced States to ratify it by writing [...]
The Senate: A Balance For State Rights — Gouverneur Morris
Liberty Letters Quote of the Day, Gouverneur Morris The consequence of such a transfer of power from the maritime to the interior and landed interest will he foresees be such an oppression of commerce, that he shall be obliged to vote for the vicious principle of equality in the second branch in order to provide some defense for the Northern [...]
Man Is Naturally Free — Algernon Sidney
Liberty Letters, Quote of the Day, Algernon Sidney IF any man ask how nations come to have the power of doing these things, I answer, that liberty being only an exemption from the dominion of another, the question ought not to be, how a nation can come to be free, but how a man comes to have a dominion over it; for till the right of dominion be [...]
