Constitution Quotes - Page 27

• Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful.

  John Marshall Harlan

  Powerful, Color, Law

  Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, (559), 1896.

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• Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation.... Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.

  James Madison

  Military, Government, Europe

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1842). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in the Year 1788”, p.221

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• The Constitution of the U.S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion.

  James Madison

  Separation, Founding Fathers Religion, Chaplains

  "Concerned Catholic Paul Ryan Wants Priests to Shut Up About the Poor" by Charles P. Pierce, www.esquire.com. April 27, 2018.

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• I entirely concur in the propriety of resorting to the sense in which the Constitution was accepted and ratified by the nation. In that sense alone it is the legitimate Constitution. And if that is not the guide in expounding it, there may be no security.

  James Madison

  May, Accepted, Guides

  James Madison, David B. Mattern (1997). “James Madison's "Advice to My Country"”, p.34, University of Virginia Press

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• The Constitution expressly and exclusively vests in the Legislature the power of declaring a state of war [and] the power of raising armies.... A delegation of such powers [to the President] would have struck, not only at the fabric of our Constitution, but at the foundation of all well organized and well checked governments. The separation of the power of declaring war from that of conducting it, is wisely contrived to exclude the danger of its being declared for the sake of its being conducted.

  James Madison

  War, Army, Government

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• The constitution ought to secure a genuine militia and guard against a select militia. ...All regulations tending to render this general militia useless and defenseless, by establishing select corps of militia, or distinct bodies of military men, not having permanent interests and attachments to the community ought to be avoided.

  Richard Henry Lee

  Military, Men, Community

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• So far as this has gone, I am satisfied to see a spirit prevailing that promises to send the system out free from those vexations and abuses that might be warranted by the terms of the Constitution. It must never be forgotten, however, that the liberties of the people are not so safe under the gracious manner of government, as by the limitation of power.

  Richard Henry Lee

  Government, People, Promise

  Richard Henry Lee (1825). “Memoir of the Life of Richard H. Lee, and His Correspondence with the Most Distinguished Men in America and Europe”

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• Let our government be like that of the solar system. Let the general government be like the sun and the states the planets, repelled yet attracted, and the whole moving regularly and harmoniously in several orbits.

  John Dickinson

  Moving, Government, Sun

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• Such is the constitution of man that labour may be styled its own reward; nor will any external incitements be requisite, if it be considered how much happiness is gained, and how much misery escaped, by frequent and violent agitation of the body.

  Samuel Johnson

  Men, Body, May

  Samuel Johnson, Elizabeth Carter, Samuel Richardson, Catherine Talbot (1825). “The Rambler: A Periodical Paper, Published in 1750, 1751, 1752”, p.146

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• To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.

  John Stuart Mill

  Thinking, Ninety Nine, Government

  John Stuart Mill (2016). “Considerations on Representative Government”, p.22, John Stuart Mill

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• The only way out of the current crisis is to amend the Constitution.

  Abhisit Vejjajiva

  Way, Currents, Crisis

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• The particular aspect of history which both attracts and benefits its readers is the examination of causes and the capacity, which is the reward of this study, to decide in each case the best policy to follow. Now in all political situations we must understand that the principle factor which makes for success or failure is the form of a state's constitution: it is from this source, as if from a fountainhead, that all designs and plans of action not only originate but reach their fulfillment.

  Polybius

  Design, Political, Principles

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• To seek to keep the established constitution unchanged argues a good citizen and a good man.

  Augustus

  Men, Good Man, Citizens

  "An Examination of the Isis Cult with Preliminary Exploration into New Testament Studies". Book by Elizabeth A. McCabe, October 29, 2007.

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• At heart, American conservatives like myself are believers in the Constitution. We believe that the principles embodied in the Constitution are enduring, and that to whatever extent we deviate from them we put our liberties at risk. Our views are consistent because we believe in absolute truths and the essential soundness, even righteousness, of the Founder's vision of government.

  Sean Hannity

  Believe, Heart, Government

  Sean Hannity (2009). “Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism”, p.14, Zondervan

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• But I am pro-life and will intend, if I’m president of the United States, to encourage pro-life policies. [...] And I hope to appoint justices to the Supreme Court that will follow the law and the constitution. And it would be my preference that they reverse Roe v. Wade and therefore they return to the people and their elected representatives the decisions with regards to this important issue.

  Mitt Romney

  Law, Issues, People

  "Meet the Press" with David Gregory, www.nbcnews.com.

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• I know for my family, the only question that we will be answering is how many people are in our home. We won't be answering any information beyond that, because the Constitution doesn't require any information beyond that.

  Michele Bachmann

  Home, People, Information

  "The Ed Show" with Ed Schultz, www.nbcnews.com. June 18.

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• Do you know we have more acreage of forest land in the United States today than we did at the time the Constitution was written?

  Rush Limbaugh

  Stupid, Land, Today

  "The Rush Limbaugh Show", February 18, 1994.

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• That's beautiful: the hurrah game! well — it's our game: that's the chief fact in connection with it: America's game: has the snap, go fling, of the American atmosphere — belongs as much to our institutions, fits into them as significantly, as our constitutions, laws: is just as important in the sum total of our historic life.

  Walt Whitman

  Beautiful, Law, Games

  "With Walt Whitman in Camden". Book by Horace Traubel, Vol. IV (p. 508), 1906.

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• So too, in forming a constitution, or in enacting rules of procedure, or making canons, the people do not merely passively assent, but actively cooperate. They have, in all these matters, the same authority as the clergy.

  Charles Hodge

  People, Matter, Authority

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• There is no basis in text, tradition, or even in contemporary practice (if that were enough), for finding in the Constitution a right to demand judicial consideration of newly discovered evidence of innocence brought forward after conviction. My concern is that in making life easier for ourselves we not appear to make it harder for the lower federal courts, imposing upon them the burden of regularly analyzing newly-discovered-evidence-of-innocence claims in capital cases (in which event such federal claims, it can confidently be predicted, will become routine and even repetitive).

  Antonin Scalia

  Practice, Justice, Demand

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• Individuals who have been wronged by unlawful racial discrimination should be made whole; but under our Constitution there can be no such thing as either a creditor or a debtor race. That concept is alien to the Constitution's focus upon the individual. ...To pursue the concept of racial entitlement - even for the most admirable and benign of purposes - is to reinforce and preserve for future mischief the way of thinking that produced race slavery, race privilege and race hatred. In the eyes of government, we are just one race here. It is American.

  Antonin Scalia

  Eye, Thinking, Race

  Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña, 515 U.S. 200, 239, 1995.

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• There are loads of countries that have nice written constitutions like ours. But there aren't loads of countries where they're followed.

  Stephen Breyer

  Country, Nice, Written

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• Approving some religious claims while deeming others unworthy of accommodation could be 'perceived as favoring one religion over another,' the very 'risk the [Constitution's] Establishment Clause was designed to preclude.

  Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  Religious, Risk, Establishment Clause

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• A constitution, as important as it is, will mean nothing unless the people are yearning for liberty and freedom.

  Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  Mean, People, Important

  "Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Talks Constitution, Women And Liberty On Egyptian TV" By Mike Sacks, www.huffingtonpost.com. February 1, 2012.

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• I repeat that no greater immediate responsibility rests upon members of the Church, upon all citizens of this republic and of neighboring republics than to protect the freedom vouchsafed by the Constitution of the United States.

  David O. McKay

  Responsibility, Church, United States

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