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Quote by Alexander Hamilton

“The genius of the people will ill brook the inquisitive and peremptory spirit of excise laws.”

Author

Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father of the United States, born on January 11, 1757, and died on July 12, 1804. He played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War and was instrumental in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton promoted fiscal stability and economic growth, establishing the First Bank of the United States and proposing solutions for federal debt. His ideas and policies had a profound impact on the early political and economic development of the United States. more

“It is by far the safer course to lay [considerations of the future] altogether aside; and to confine our attention wholly to the nature and extent of the powers as they are delineated in the constitution. Everything beyond this, must be left to the prudence and firmness of the people; who, as they will hold the scales in their own hands, it is to be hoped, will always take care to preserve the constitutional equilibrium between the General and State governments.”

People States Hands Government Care Courses Left Attention Virtue Constitution Lays Take Care Scales Preserves Consideration Prudence Equilibrium State Government Firmness

Author:Alexander Hamilton

“Would they not fear that citizens not less tenacious than conscious of their rights would flock from the remotest extremes of their respective states to the places of election, to overthrow their tyrants, and to substitute men who would be disposed to avenge the violated majesty of the people?”

People Men States Would Be Virtue Rights Citizens Conscious Election Extremes Substitutes Tyrants Majesty Flocks Tenacious

Book:The Federalist: With Letters of Brutus

Source: The Federalist: With Letters of Brutus

“We may look up to Armies for Defence, but Virtue is our best Security. It is not possible that any state should long remain free, where Virtue is not supremely honord.”

Should Looks May Long States Virtue Security Army Look Up Defence

Book:The Writings of Samuel Adams: 1773-1777

Source: The Writings of Samuel Adams: 1773-1777

“I considered mores to be one of the great general causes responsible for the maintenance of a democratic republic . . . the term "mores" . . . meaning . . . habits of the heart.”

Heart Causes Term Virtue Habit Responsible Democratic Republic Maintenance Democratic Republic

Author:Alexis de Tocqueville

“It is . . . [the citizens] choice, and depends upon their conduct, whether they will be respectable and prosperous, or contemptable and miserable as a Nation. This is the time of their political probation; this is the moment when the eyes of the World are turned upon them.”

World Moments Eye Political Choices Nations Virtue Depends Citizens Miserable Prosperous Respectable Probation

Book:Writings: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts

Source: Writings: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts

“Our conflict is not likely to cease so soon as every good man would wish. The measure of iniquity is not yet filled; and unless we can return a little more to first principles, and act a little more upon patriotic ground, I do not know when it will-or-what may be the issue of the contest. Speculation-peculation-engrossing-forestalling-with all their concomitants, afford too many melancholy proofs of the decay of public virtue; and too glaring instances of its being the interest and desire of too many, who would wish to be thought friends, to continue the war.”