Authors:

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

James Madison Quotes

All Quotes Abuse Age Ambition Army Art Atheism Atheist Authority Character Charity Choices Church Communication Community Conscience Constitution Corruption Country Democracy Devotion Diversity Doubt Duty Economy Education Energy Evil Exercise Failing Freedom Freedom Of Religion Freedom Of Speech Giving God Heart Home Honor House Human Nature Humanity Ignorance Independence Injustice Inspirational Judging Justice Liberty Loss Lying Military Office Opportunity Oppression Passion Past Patriotism Peace Politics Power Preparation Pride Progress Property Purpose Reflection Regret Religion Sacrifice Safety Second Amendment Separation Slavery Socialism Temptation Tyranny Violence Voting War Welfare Wisdom

Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace.

Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace.

Strength, Peace, Army

If our nation is ever taken over, it will be taken over from within.

Taken, Over It, Nations

The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.

Law, America, Constitution

Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant.

Rallying Cry, Tyrants, Presidential

The purpose of the Constitution is to restrict the majority's ability to harm a minority.

Majority, Minorities, Purpose

Disarm the people- that is the best and most effective way to enslave them.

Gun, People, Way

We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.

Bible, God, Religious

Democracy is the most vile form of government.

Government, Democracy, Form

If man is not fit to govern himself, how can he be fit to govern someone else?

Men, Fit, Ifs

The ultimate authority resides in the people, and that if the federal government got too powerful and overstepped its authority, then the people would develop plans of resistance and resort to arms.

Powerful, Government, People

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

Education, Wisdom, Freedom

1822; cited in U.S. Senate, Alleged Assassination Plots (1975).

We are free today substantially, but the day will come when our Republic will be an impossibility. It will be an impossibility because wealth will be concentrated in the hands of a few. A Republic cannot stand upon bayonets, and when the day comes when the wealth of the nation will be in the hands of a few, then we must rely upon the wisdom of the best elements in the country to readjust the laws of the nations to the changed conditions.

Wisdom, Country, Hands

If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.

Inspirational, Freedom, Fear

"The Last Enemy" by Rebecca Sato, www.pbs.org. November 11, 2010.

The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned.

Bears, Defense, Citizens

Armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.

Army, Debt, Libertarian

James Madison, David B. Mattern (1997). “James Madison's "Advice to My Country"”, p.106, University of Virginia Press

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Gun, Libertarian Party, Assault Weapons

James Madison, Gaillard Hunt, James Brown Scott (1999). “The Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787: Which Framed the Constitution of the United States of America”, p.690, The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.

Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death.

Freedom, Democracies Have, Rights

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1842). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in the Year 1788”, p.46

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.

Government, Hands, Independent Judiciary

The Federalist no. 47 (1788)

If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

Adversity, Angel, Men

The Federalist no. 51 (1788)

I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.

Freedom, Believe, Power

Speech at Virginia Convention, 5 June 1788

A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.

President, Constitution, Ifs

Americans need not fear the federal government because they enjoy the advantage of being armed, which you possess over the people of almost every other nation.

Freedom, Gun, Government

A people armed and free, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition and is a bulwark for the nation against foreign invasion and domestic oppression.

Strength, Peace, Ambition

Wherever there is interest and power to do wrong, wrong will generally be done.

Reality, Liberty, Done

James Madison, Ralph Ketcham “Selected Writings of James Madison”, Hackett Publishing

Our Constitution represents the work of the finger of Almighty God.

Constitution, Almighty, Almighty God

1
2
3
4
Next

Born: March 16, 1751 - June 28, 1836
Occupation: 4th U.S. President

Quotes: 548

Popular Topics