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Here, every private person is authorized to arm himself, and on the strength of this authority, I do not deny the inhabitants had a right to arm themselves at that time, for their defense, not for offense.

John Adams
Gun, Defense, Arms
"Legal Papers of John Adams". Book edited by L. Kinvin Wroth and Hiller B. Zobel, 3:248, 1965.
Here, every private person is authorized to arm himself, and on the strength of this authority, I do not deny the inhabitants had a right to arm themselves at that time, for their defense, not for offense.