Best Constitution Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 14

“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.”

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“The storm of frenzy and faction must inevitably dash itself in vain against the unshaken rock of the Constitution.”

Rocks Inspirational Life Constitution Storm Vain Presidential Factions Frenzy

Author:James Buchanan

“There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.”

Two Government Political Evil Party Leader Constitution Humble Opposition Division Republic Dread Political Parties Apprehension Two Party System Great Party Opposition Parties Greatest Political

Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“A constitution founded on these principles introduces knowledge among the people, and inspires them with a conscious dignity becoming freemen; a general emulation takes place, which causes good humor, sociability, good manners, and good morals to be general. That elevation of sentiment inspired by such a government, makes the common people brave and enterprising. That ambition which is inspired by it makes them sober, industrious, and frugal.”

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 4: Novanglus, Thoughts on Government, Defence of the Constitution I

“The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society depend so much upon an upright and skillful administration of justice, that the judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both, as both should be checks upon that.”

“To suppose arms in the hands of citizens, to be used at individual discretion, except in private self-defense, or by partial orders of towns, counties or districts of a state, is to demolish every constitution, and lay the laws prostrate, so that liberty can be enjoyed by no man; it is a dissolution of the government. The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws.”

“It already appears, that there must be in every society of men superiors and inferiors, because God has laid in the constitution and course of nature the foundations of the distinction.”

People Men Courses Constitution Foundation Superiors Distinction Inferiors

Book:A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America

Source: A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America

“There is no good government but what is republican. That the only valuable part of the British constitution is so; for the true idea of a republic is "an empire of laws, and not of men." That, as a republic is the best of governments, so that particular arrangement of the powers of society, or in other words, that form of government which is best contrived to secure an impartial and exact execution of the law, is the best of republics.”

Men Ideas Government Form Law Particular Republican Constitution Valuable British Secure Empires Republic Execution Arrangements Forms Of Government Republican Government British Constitution

Author:John Adams

“That provision in the constitution which requires that the president shall be a native-born citizen (unless he were a citizen of the United States when the constitution was adopted,) is a happy means of security against foreign influence, which, where-ever it is capable of being exerted, is to be dreaded more than the plague.”

Mean States President Born United United States Influence Security Citizens Capable Constitution Native Adopted Plague Provision

Book:Blackstone's Commentaries: With Notes of Reference, to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States; and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In Five Volumes. With an Appendix to Each Volume, Containing Short Tracts Upon Such Subjects as Appeared Necessary to Form a Connected View of the Laws of Virginia, as a Member of the Federal Union

Source: Blackstone's Commentaries: With Notes of Reference, to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States; and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In Five Volumes. With an Appendix to Each Volume, Containing Short Tracts Upon Such Subjects as Appeared Necessary to Form a Connected View of the Laws of Virginia, as a Member of the Federal Union

“We have no Constitution which functions in the absence of a moral people”

People Moral Function Constitution Absence

Author:John Adams

“The hand that destroys the Constitution rends our Union asunder forever.”

Hands Forever Constitution Unions

Book:The Union Text Book: Containing Selections from the Writings of Daniel Webster, The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's Farewell Address

Source: The Union Text Book: Containing Selections from the Writings of Daniel Webster, The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's Farewell Address

“We may be tossed upon an ocean where we can see no land - nor, perhaps, the sun or stars. But there is a chart and a compass for us to study, to consult, and to obey. That chart is the Constitution.”

May Stars Sun Study Land Ocean Constitution Compass Consulting

Book:Writings and speeches hitherto uncollected, v. 1. Addresses on various occasions

Source: Writings and speeches hitherto uncollected, v. 1. Addresses on various occasions

“There is nothing stable but Heaven and the Constitution.”

Heaven Constitution Presidential Stable

Author:James Buchanan

“The most sensible and jealous people are so little attentive to government that there are no instances of resistance until repeated, multiplied oppressions have placed it beyond a doubt that their rulers had formed settled plans to deprive them of their liberties; not to oppress an individual or a few, but to break down the fences of a free constitution, and deprive the people at large of all share in the government, and all the checks by which it is limited.”

People Littles Government Individual Liberty Break Doubt Plans Share Revolution Constitution Checks Resistance Oppression Instance Jealous Sensible Rulers Fence Breaking Down Jealous People

Author:John Adams

“There is nothing in the Constitution that authorizes or makes it the official duty of a president to have anything to do with criminal activities.”

President Duty Activity Constitution Criminals Officials

Author:Sam Ervin

“If you take out of your statutes, your constitution, your family life all that is taken from the Sacred Book, what would there be left to bind society together?”

Ifs Book Together Left Taken Constitution Sacred Our Family Family Life Statutes

Author:Benjamin Harrison

“Keep in mind our Constitution predates the Industrial Revolution. Our founders did not know about electricity, the train, telephones, radio, television, automobiles, airplanes, rockets, nuclear weapons, satellites, or space exploration. There's a lot they didn't know about. It would be interesting to see what kind of document they'd draft today. Just keeping it frozen in time won't hack it.”

“If the Christian religion, as I understand it, or as you understand it, should maintain its ground, as I believe it will, yet Platonic, Pythagoric, Hindoo, and cabalistical Christianity, which is Catholic Christianity, and which has prevailed for 1500 years, has received a mortal wound, of which the monster must finally die. Yet so strong is his constitution, that he may endure for centuries before he expires.”

Ifs Should Years Believe May Christian Dies Belief Strong I Believe Christianity Century Constitution Catholic Endure Wounds Monsters Mortals Platonic

Author:John Adams

“When the Constitution of the United States was framed and adopted, those high contracting parties did positively agree that they would not interfere with religious affairs. Now, if our marital relations are not religious, what is? This ordinance of marriage was a direct revelation to us, through Joseph Smith, the prophet. . . . This is a revelation from God and a command to his people, and therefore it is my religion. I do not believe that the Supreme Court of the United States has any right to interfere with my religious views, and in doing it they are violating their most sacred obligations.”

“All laws that are proper and correct, and all obligations entered into which are not violative of the constitution should be kept inviolate. But if they are violative of the constitution, then the compact between the rulers and the ruled is broken and the obligation ceases to be binding.”

Ifs Should Law Broken Constitution Cease Obligation Rulers Binding Compact

Author:John Taylor

“By the former of these (canon law), the most refined, sublime, extensive, and astonishing constitution of policy that ever was conceived by the mind of man was framed by the Romish clergy for the aggrandizement of their own order.”

Men Mind Law Order Policy Constitution Former Sublime Astonishing Refined Clergy Framed Canon

Book:The Political Writings of John Adams: Representative Selections

Source: The Political Writings of John Adams: Representative Selections

“..if the Northern states refuse, willfully and deliberately, to carry into effect that part of the Constitution which respects the restoration of fugitive slaves, and Congress provide no remedy, the South would no longer be bound to observe the compact. A bargain can not be broken on one side, and still bind the other side.”

Source: The Wanderer Case: The Speech of Hon. Henry R. Jackson of Savannah, Ga

“All from other lands, who by the terms of [congressional] laws and a compliance with their provisions become naturalized, are adopted citizens of the United States; all other persons born within the Republic, of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty, are natural born citizens. Gentleman [sic] can find no exception to this statement touching natural-born citizens except what is said in the Constitution relating to Indians.”

“Good intentions will always be pleaded, for every assumption of power; but they cannot justify it ... It is hardly too strong to say, that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intention, real or pretended.”

Source: The speeches of Daniel Webster and his master-pieces

“That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience.”

“If an angel should be winged from Heaven, on an errand of mercy to our country, the first accents that would glow on his lips would be, Beware! Be cautious! You have everything to lose; nothing to gain. We live under the only government that ever existed which was framed by the unrestrained and deliberate consultations of the people. Miracles do not cluster. That which has happened but once in six thousand years cannot be expected to happen often. Such a government, once gone, might leave a void, to be filled, for ages, with revolution and tumult, riot and despotism.”

“The Constitution is ...the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen”

World Effort Constitution Deliberation

Book:A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America: Against the Attack of M. Turgot in His Letter to Dr. Price, Dated the Twenty-second Day of March, 1778

Source: A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America: Against the Attack of M. Turgot in His Letter to Dr. Price, Dated the Twenty-second Day of March, 1778

“No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer or if he fall in defense of the liberties and Constitution of his country.”

Ifs Men Country Suffering Fall Liberty Too Much Constitution Defense

Book:The Union Text Book: Containing Selections from the Writings of Daniel Webster, The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's Farewell Address

Source: The Union Text Book: Containing Selections from the Writings of Daniel Webster, The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's Farewell Address

“I am committed against every thing which in my judgment, may weaken, endanger, or destroy (the Constitution) ... and especially against all extension of Executive power; and I am committed against any attempt to rule the free people of this country by the power and the patronage of the Government itself.”

People May Country Government Judgment Constitution Committed Executives Extensions Patronage Executive Power

Book:The works

Source: The works

“The right of a nation to kill a tyrant, in cases of necessity, can no more be doubted, than to hang a robber, or kill a flea. But killing one tyrant only makes way for worse, unless the people have sense, spirit and honesty enough to establish and support a constitution guarded at all points against the tyranny of the one, the few, and the many.”