James Madison Quotes

Source: The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yates's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

“The aim of every political Constitution, is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.”

Men Firsts Political Next Politics Common Liberty Virtue Trust Ought Constitution Aim Pursue Virtuous Rulers Common Good Precaution Public Trust

Book:The Federalist: With Letters of Brutus

Source: The Federalist: With Letters of Brutus

“Resistance to tyranny is service to God.”

Liberty Libertarian Tyranny Resistance Libertarianism Service To God

Author:James Madison

“Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few... No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.”

“With respect to the words "general welfare," I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators.”

“The Convention thought it wrong to admit in the Constitution the idea that there could be property in men.”

Men Ideas Constitution Slavery Property Conventions

Book:The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia, in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yate's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

Source: The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia, in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yate's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

“We have seen the mere distinction of color made in the most enlightened period of time, a ground of the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man.”

Men Made Color Periods Slavery Mere Distinction Enlightened Dominion Constitutional Convention

Book:The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia, in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yate's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

Source: The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia, in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yate's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

“Another of my wishes is to depend as little as possible on the labour of slaves.”

Littles Wish Depends Slavery Slave Labour My Wish

Book:1769-1793

Source: 1769-1793

“American citizens are instrumental in carrying on a traffic in enslaved Africans, equally in violation of the laws of humanity and in defiance of those of their own country. The same just and benevolent motives which produced interdiction in force against this criminal conduct will doubtless be felt by Congress in devising further means of suppressing the evil.”

Source: The Papers of James Madison: Presidential Series

“It is due to justice; due to humanity; due to truth; due to the sympathies of our nature; in fine, to our character as a people, both abroad and at home, that they should be considered, as much as possible, in the light of human beings, and not as mere property. As such, they are acted on by our laws, and have an interest in our laws. They may be considered as making a part, though a degraded part, of the families to which they belong.”

People Should Humans May Character Home Light Law Humanity Interest Justice Human Beings Fine Slavery Property Mere Dues

Book:Selected Writings of James Madison

Source: Selected Writings of James Madison

“Outlets for the freed blacks are alone wanted for the erasure of the blot from our Republican character.”

Character Wanted Republican Slavery Outlets

Book:Letters and Other Writings of James Madison

Source: Letters and Other Writings of James Madison

“If slavery, as a national evil, is to be abolished, and it be just that it be done at the national expense, the amount of the expense is not a paramount consideration.”

Ifs Done Evil Amount Slavery Consideration Expenses Paramount

Book:1816-1828

Source: 1816-1828

“In contemplating the pecuniary resources needed for the removal of such a number to so great a distance [freed slaves to Africa], my thoughts and hopes have long been turned to the rich fund presented in the western lands of the nation . . .”

Long Nations Numbers Rich Land Needed Resources Slavery Distance Slave Western Fund Contemplating My Thoughts Removal

Author:James Madison

“The magnitude of this evil among us is so deeply felt, and so universally acknowledged, that no merit could be greater than that of devising a satisfactory remedy for it.”

Evil Felt Greater Slavery Merit Remedy Magnitude Devising

Book:Selected Writings of James Madison

Source: Selected Writings of James Madison

“The real difference of interests, lay not between large and small, but between the Northern and Southern states. The institution of slavery and its consequences formed a line of discrimination.”

Real States Interest Differences Lines Consequence Institutions Slavery Lays Discrimination Southern

Book:The Constitution a pro-slavery compact, or, Extracts from the Madison papers, etc

Source: The Constitution a pro-slavery compact, or, Extracts from the Madison papers, etc

“The best service that can be rendered to a Country, next to that of giving it liberty, is in diffusing the mental improvement equally essential to the preservation, and the enjoyment of the blessing.”

Giving Country Next Education Liberty Blessing Essentials Improvement Enjoyment Preservation Best Service

Book:James Madison's

Source: James Madison's

“The liberal appropriations made by the legislature of Kentucky for a general system of education cannot be too much applauded . . . . Learned institutions ought to be the 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 . . . . What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable than that of liberty and learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support?”

People Mind Made Light Education Liberty Support Too Much Security Dangerous Objects Ought Institutions Mutual Legislature Kentucky Appropriation Encroachment Crafty

Author:James Madison

“The rich man, when contributing to a permanent plan for the education of the poor, ought to reflect that he is providing for that of his own descendants; and the poor man who concurs in a provision for those who are not poor that at no distant day it may be enjoyed by descendants from himself. It does not require a long life to witness these vicissitudes of fortune.”

Source: The forging of American federalism: selected writings of James Madison

“It will be remembered, that a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is solemnly enjoined by most of the state constitutions, and particularly by our own, as a necessary safeguard against the danger of degeneracy, to which republics are liable, as well as other governments, though in a less degree than others.”

Wells States Government Education Principles Danger Degrees Constitution Fundamentals Remembered Republic Liable Fundamental Principles Recurrence

Book:The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yates's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

Source: The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yates's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution

“The infant periods of most nations are buried in silence or veiled in fable; and the world perhaps has lost but little which it needs regret. The origin and outset of the American Republic contain lessons of which posterity ought not to be deprived: and happily there never was a case in which every interesting incident could be so accurately preserved.”

World Needs Littles Lost Nations Interesting Education Silence Cases Regret Ought Periods Lessons Republic Buried Infant Very Interesting Deprived Posterity Incidents Fables

Book:James Madison's

Source: James Madison's

“Congress shall have Power . . . to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Time to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”

Writing Art Education Progress Discovery Congress Exclusive Inventor Patents Unpatriotic Limited Time Copyright Law Section 8

Book:The Origin of the Nation: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and Other Amendments, Federalist Papers & Common Sense: Creating America - Landmark Documents that Shaped a New Nation

Source: The Origin of the Nation: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and Other Amendments, Federalist Papers & Common Sense: Creating America - Landmark Documents that Shaped a New Nation

“There is not a shadow of right in the general government to intermingle with religion. Its least interference with it would be a most flagrant usurpation.”

Government Would Be Religion Atheism Shadow Interference Usurpation

Author:James Madison

“It degrades from the equal rank of Citizens all those whose opinions in Religion do not bend to those of the Legislative authority. Distant as it may be in its present form from the Inquisition, it differs from it only in degree.”

May Form Religion Opinion Atheism Citizens Equal Degrees Authority Degrade Inquisition

Book:Selected Writings of James Madison

Source: Selected Writings of James Madison

“Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history.”