Home / Quotes / Quote by Lysander Spooner

Quote by Lysander Spooner

“But for their right to judge of the law, and the justice of the law, juries would be no protection to an accused person, even as to matters of fact; for, if the government can dictate to a jury any law whatever, in a criminal case, it can certainly dictate to them the laws of evidence.”

Quote by Lysander Spooner

Book:An Essay on the Trial by Jury

Work

An Essay on the Trial by Jury

This work delves into the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the jury system, analyzing its role in ensuring justice and the rights of the accused. more

Author

Lysander Spooner

Lysander Spooner was an American philosopher, abolitionist, and legal theorist who lived from January 19, 1808, to May 14, 1887. He is recognized for his contributions to the philosophy of individual rights and his advocacy for the abolition of slavery. Spooner's work has had a profound impact on the fields of law and philosophy. more

You May Also Like

“Doing a thing by law, or according to law, is only carrying the law into execution. And punishing a man by, or according to, the sentence or judgment of his peers, is only carrying that sentence or judgment into execution.”

Men Law Judgment Sentences Execution Peers

Book:An Essay on the Trial by Jury

Source: An Essay on the Trial by Jury

“Doubtless the most miserable of men, under the most oppressive government in the world, if allowed the ballot, would use it, if they could see any chance of thereby ameliorating their condition.”

Ifs Men World Use Government Chance Conditions Miserable Ballots Oppressive Governments

Book:No Treason: No. 1-

Source: No Treason: No. 1-

“If a jury have not the right to judge between the government and those who disobey its laws, and resist its oppressions, the government is absolute, and the people, legally speaking, are slaves.”

People Ifs Government Law Judging Absolutes Slave Oppression Jury

Book:An Essay on the Trial by Jury

Source: An Essay on the Trial by Jury

“If it be said that the consent of the strongest party in a nation, is all that is necessary to justify the establishment of a government that shall have authority over the weaker party, it may be answered that the most despotic governments in the world rest upon that very principle, viz.: the consent of the strongest party.”

Ifs World May Said Government Nations Party Principles Authority Justify Strongest Establishment Consent

Author:Lysander Spooner

“If men were but to read the New Testament with the same tone and emphasis, with which they do other books, and were to keep out of mind the idea of its being sacred, they would be disgusted with the credulity, and the want of intellect, reason and judgment, that is apparent in it.”

Ifs Men Want Mind Book Ideas Reason Would Be Judgment Sacred Intellect Tone Testament Emphasis New Testament Credulity Disgusted

Author:Lysander Spooner

“If taxation without consent is robbery, the United States government has never had, has not now, and is never likely to have, a single honest dollar in its treasury. If taxation without consent is not robbery, then any band of robbers have only to declare themselves a government, and all their robberies are legalized.”

Ifs States Government United United States Honest Band Dollars Consent Taxation Treasury State Government Robbers Robbery United States Government

Author:Lysander Spooner

“If two individuals enter into a contract to commit trespass, theft, robbery or murder upon a third, the contract is unlawful and void, simply because it is a contract to violate natural justice, or men's natural rights.”

Ifs Men Two Individual Natural Justice Rights Thirds Murder Commit Contracts Void Theft Robbery Natural Rights Unlawful Natural Justice

Book:The unconstitutionality of slavery: including parts first and second

Source: The unconstitutionality of slavery: including parts first and second

“It cannot be said that the Constitution formed 'the people of the United States,' for all time, into a corporation. It does not speak of 'the people' as a corporation, but as individuals. A corporation does not describe itself as 'we,' nor as 'people,' nor as 'ourselves.' Nor does a corporation, in legal language, have any 'posterity.'”

People Doe Said States Individual Speak Language United United States Constitution All Time Corporations Posterity

Book:Let's Abolish Government

Source: Let's Abolish Government

“It is with government paper, and bank paper, as it is with the paper of private persons; that is, it is worth just what can be delivered in redemption of it, and no more. We all understand that the notes of the Astors, and Stewarts, and Vanderbilts, though issued by millions, and tens of millions, are really worth their nominal values.”

Persons Government Values Millions Paper Notes Redemption Vanderbilt

Book:A New Banking System: the Needful Capital for Rebuilding the Burnt District

Source: A New Banking System: the Needful Capital for Rebuilding the Burnt District

“Legally speaking, the term 'public rights' is as vague and indefinite as are the terms 'public health,' 'public good,' 'public welfare,' and the like. It has no legal meaning, except when used to describe the separate, private, individual rights of a greater or less number of individuals.”

Used Individual Term Numbers Greater Rights Welfare Vague Public Health Individual Rights Public Good Public Welfare

Book:The collected works of Lysander Spooner

Source: The collected works of Lysander Spooner