The Spirit of Liberty

Patrick Henry, War is Inevitable 1775

Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Beside, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of Nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.

James Madison, author of the Bill of Rights

The ultimate authority resides in the people alone.

It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of citizens and one of the noblest characteristics of the late Revolution. The freemen of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise and entangled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and they avoided the consequences by denying the principle. We revere this lesson too much to forget it.

Alexander Hamilton

Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have is this: When I have a subject in mind. I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. My mind becomes pervaded with it, the effort which I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought.

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.

Thomas Jefferson

On every question of construction of the Constitution, let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.

George Washington

I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.

To err is nature, to rectify error is glory.

Benjamin Franklin

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety.

I hope that mankind will at length, as they call themselves reasonable creatures, have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats; for in my opinion there never was a good war, or a bad peace.

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.

John Adams

Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America's heart, her benedictions and prayers, but she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator of her own.

People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity.

Samuel Adams

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards.

As long as the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader. If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security.