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A government without the power of defence! it is a solecism.

— James Wilson

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Source, in full

speech, Pennsylvania Convention on the adoption of the Federal Constitution, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1787.—The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, ed. Jonathan Elliot, vol. 2, p. 520 (1836). Wilson, the leader of the Federalist forces at the convention, was the only member of the Pennsylvania Convention who had been part of the Federal Convention writing the Constitution.

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Government

More quotes by James Wilson

Let a state be considered as subordinate to the people: But let everything else be subordinate to the state.

In this view, common law, like natural philosophy, when properly studied, is a science founded on experiment.

By a State I mean, a complete body of free persons united together for their common benefit, to enjoy peaceably what is their own, and to do justice to others.

To the Constitution of the United States the term SOVEREIGN, is totally unknown.

In matters of a civil nature, that system works itself pure by rules drawn from the fountain of justice : in matters of a political nature, it works itself pure by rules drawn from the fountain of freedom.

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There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: James Wilson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.