Alexander Hamilton Quotes - Page 13

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• There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty regulating all the details of time, place, circumstance, and quantity; leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Party, Independent, Ideas

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1852). “The Federalist, on the new constitution, written in 1788, with an appendix, containing the letters of Pacificus and Helvidius on the proclamation of neutrality of 1793, also the original articles of confederation and the constitution of the United States”, p.68

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• By a steady adherence to the Union we may hope, erelong, to become the arbiter of Europe in America, and to be able to incline the balance of European competitions in this part of the world as our interest may dictate.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Europe, America, Competition

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Quentin P. Taylor, John Jay (1998). “The Essential Federalist: A New Reading of the Federalist Papers”, p.166, Rowman & Littlefield

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• It is in vain to hope to guard against events too mighty for human foresight or precaution, and it would be idle to object to a government because it could not perform impossibilities.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, Events, Would Be

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2014). “The Federalist Papers”, p.77, Courier Corporation

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• If the Constitution is adopted (and it was) the Union will be in fact and in theory an association of States or a Confederacy.

  Alexander Hamilton

  War, Unions, Association

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• In disquisitions of every kind there are certain primary truths, or first principles, upon which all subsequent reasoning must depend.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Principles, Firsts, Kind

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Quentin P. Taylor, John Jay (1998). “The Essential Federalist: A New Reading of the Federalist Papers”, p.28, Rowman & Littlefield

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• A government, the constitution of which renders it unfit to be trusted with all the powers which a free people ought to delegate to any government, would be an unsafe and improper depositary of the NATIONAL INTERESTS.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, People, Would Be

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2014). “The Federalist Papers”, p.110, Courier Corporation

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• The variety of more minute interests, which will necessarily fall under the superintendence of the local administrations . . . cannot be particularized without involving a detail too tedious and uninteresting to compensate for the instruction it might afford.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Fall, Might, Administration

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1842). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in the Year 1788”, p.77

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• This position will not be disputed so long as it is admitted that the desire of reward is one of the strongest incentives of human conduct, or that the best security for the fidelity of mankind is to make their interest coincide with their duty. Even the love of fame, the ruling passion of the noblest minds... would on the contrary deter him from the undertaking, when he foresaw that he must quit the scene before he could accomplish the work.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Passion, Long, Mind

  "The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States".

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• As the duties of superintending the national defense and of securing the public peace against foreign or domestic violence involve a provision for casualties and dangers to which no possible limits can be assigned, the power of making that provision ought to know no other bounds than the exigencies of the nation and the resources of the community.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Community, Domestic Violence, Defense

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2007). “The Federalist Papers”, p.231, Filiquarian Publishing, LLC.

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• In all general questions which become the subjects of discussion, there are always some truths mixed with falsehoods. I confess, there is danger where men are capable of holding two offices. Take mankind in general, they are vicious, their passions may be operated upon. We have been taught to reprobate the danger of influence in the British government, without duly reflecting how far it was necessary to support a good government. We have taken up many ideas upon trust, and at last, pleased with our own opinions, establish them as undoubted truths.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Taken, Passion, Men

  "The works of Alexander Hamilton".

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• Its objects are CONTRACTS with foreign nations which have the force of law, but derive it from the obligations of good faith.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Law, Force, Contracts

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2007). “The Federalist Papers”, p.570, Filiquarian Publishing, LLC.

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• The obscurity is much oftener in the passions and prejudices of the reasoner than in the subject.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Passion, Prejudice, Obscurity

  "The Essential Federalist: A New Reading of the Federalist Papers".

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• [W]e must extend the authority of the Union to the persons of the citizens - the only proper objects of government.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, People, Citizens

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1852). “The Federalist, on the new constitution, written in 1788, with an appendix, containing the letters of Pacificus and Helvidius on the proclamation of neutrality of 1793, also the original articles of confederation and the constitution of the United States”, p.69

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• Would there not be the greatest reason to apprehend, that error in the first sentence would be the parent of error in the second sentence? That the strong bias of one decision would be apt to overrule the influence of any new lights, which might be brought to vary the complexion of another decision? Those, who know any thing of human nature, will not hesitate to answer these questions in the affirmative.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Strong, Light, Errors

  Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2017). “The Origin of the Nation: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and Other Amendments, Federalist Papers & Common Sense: Creating America - Landmark Documents that Shaped a New Nation”, p.378, Madison & Adams Press

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• Hitherto my observations have only aimed at a vindication of the provision in question, on the ground of theoretic propriety . . . . But there remains to be mentioned a positive advantage . . . I allude to the circumstance of uniformity in the time of elections for the House of Representatives. It is more than possible, that this uniformity may be found by experience to be of great importance to the public welfare; both as a security against the perpetuation of the same spirit in the body; and as a cure for the diseases of faction.

  Alexander Hamilton

  House, Public Opinion, Body

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• And it proves, in the last place, that liberty can have nothing to fear from the judiciary alone, but would have everything to fear from its union with either of the other departments.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Liberty, Executive Power, Unions

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2015). “The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution”, p.380, Coventry House Publishing

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• After an unequivocal experience of the inefficacy of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America.

  Alexander Hamilton

  America, Government, United States

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2014). “The Federalist Papers”, p.3, Courier Corporation

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• The constitution of human nature" teaches us not to expect "that the persons, entrusted with the administration of the affairs of the particular members of a confederacy, will at all times be ready, with perfect good humor, and an unbiased regard to the public weal, to execute the resolutions of decrees of the general authority." "This tendency is not difficult to be accounted for," Publius argues, "It has its origin in the love of power.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Perfect, Unbiased, Administration

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• It is evident from the state of the country, from the habits of the people, from the experience we have had on the point itself, that it is impracticable to raise any very considerable sums by direct taxation.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Country, People, Taxation

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1852). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in 1788”, p.55

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• The institution of delegated power implies that there is a portion of virtue and honor among mankind which may be a reasonable foundation of confidence.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Honor, Liberty, Foundation

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Quentin P. Taylor, John Jay (1998). “The Essential Federalist: A New Reading of the Federalist Papers”, p.81, Rowman & Littlefield

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• This power ought to be coextensive with all the possible combinations of such circumstances; and ought to be under the direction of the same councils which are appointed to preside over the common defense.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Defense, Common, Combination

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2015). “The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution”, p.111, Coventry House Publishing

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• It will be well to advert to the proportion between the objects that will require a federal provision in respect to revenue; and those which will require a state provision. We shall discover that the former are altogether unlimited; and that the latter are circumscribed within very moderate bounds.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Federalism, Unlimited, Proportion

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2015). “The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution”, p.158, Coventry House Publishing

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• The administration of private justice between the citizens of the same state, the supervision of agriculture and of other concerns of a similar nature, all those things in short which are proper to be provided for by local legislation, can never be desirable cares of a general jurisdiction . . . the attempt to exercise these powers would be as troublesome as it would be nugatory; and the possession of them, for that reason, would contribute nothing to the dignity, to the importance, or to the splendour of the national government.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Exercise, Agriculture, Government

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• What bitter anguish would not the people of Athens have often escaped if their government had contained so provident a safeguard against tyranny of their own passions? Popular liberty might then have escaped the indelible reproach of decreeing to the same citizens the hemlock on one day and statutes the next.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Passion, Government, People

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, Henry Barton Dawson (1864). “The Fœderalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favor of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Fœderal Convention, September 17, 1787. Reprinted from the Original Text. With an Historical Introduction and Notes”, p.439, New York : C. Scribner ; London : Sampson Low

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• The idea of governing at all times by the simple force of law (which we have been told is the only admissible principle of republican government) has no place but in the reveries of those political doctors whose sagacity disdains the admonitions of experimental instruction.

  Alexander Hamilton

  War, Simple, Doctors

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2015). “The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution”, p.133, Coventry House Publishing

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