In all great changes of established governments, forms ought to give way to substance

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

The people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of government hold their power, is derived

The essence of Government is power and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse

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

Each generation should be made to bear the burden of its own wars, instead of carrying them on, at the expense of other generations

A good government implies two things: fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained

Experience is the oracle of truth; and where its responses are unequivocal, they ought to be conclusive and sacred

In Republics, the great danger is, that the majority may not sufficiently respect the rights of the minority

The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home