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Category Archives: First Principles
First Principles: States Have Rights Within Their Own Orbits
“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 (Delaware … Continue reading
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Tagged Attraction, Federal, First Principles, Government, Interaction, John Dickinson, Repulsion, States
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First Principles: The Revolution Was Fought For Freedom and Honest Persons
“We fight not to enslave, but to set a country free, and to make room upon the earth for honest men to live in.” —Thomas Paine (1777), in The American Crisis No. 4 This essay may be read in its entirety … Continue reading
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Tagged American Revolution, First Principles, Freedom, Honesty, The American Crisis, Thomas Paine
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First Principles: The Art of Government Is In Honestly Doing One’s Duty
“The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail.” —Thomas Jefferson (1774), in the Rights of British America
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Tagged Credit, Duty, First Principles, Government, Honesty, Mankind, Thomas Jefferson
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First Principles: Term Limits Compels Consideration of the Governed
“Nothing so strongly impels a man to regard the interest of his constituents, as the certainty of returning to the general mass of the people, from whence he was taken, where he must participate in their burdens. – George Mason, Speech … Continue reading
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Tagged Burdens, First Principles, George Mason, Public Interest, Regard, Term Limits
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First Principles: Be Just Friends and Brave Enemies
“I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world … Continue reading
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Tagged Aggression, Brave, Duty, Enemies, Friends, Hostile, Interests, Just, Peace, Resort, Rights, Thomas Jefferson, War
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First Principles: Fight Every Tyranny Over the Mind of Man
“I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” – Thomas Jefferson All ideas should be open for discussion in a free market place of ideas. This is the … Continue reading
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Tagged Altar, Dogma, Free Conscience, Free Marketplace of Ideas, Free Speech, God, Hostility, Oath, Thomas Jefferson, Tyranny
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First Principles: The Constitution Constrains the Government Not the People
The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” – Patrick Henry
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Tagged Constitution, Government, Patrick Henry, People, Purpose, Restrain
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First Principles: Part of the Greatness of America Rests In Learning From Mistakes
“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” – Alexis de Toqueville A classic example of this might currently be in how much latitude we … Continue reading
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Tagged Alexis de Toqueville, America, Balance, First Principles, Greatness, Growing, Learning, Mistakes, Repair, Restore, Stronger
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First Principles: Keeping Its Principles Is Fundamental to Good Government
“The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.” – Baron de Montesqieu
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Tagged Decay, Deterioration, First Principles, Government, Montesqieu, Priniciples
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First Principles: Perpetual Public Debt Brings Servitude of the People
“I place economy among the first and important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our choice between economy and … Continue reading
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Tagged Economy, First Principles, Independence, Perpetual, Public Debt, Servitude, Thomas Jefferson
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