Tag Archives: First Principles

First Amendment: The People Are Not To Be Disarmed of Their Weapons. They Are Left In Full Possession of Them.

“The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them.” – Zacharia Johnson (1788)

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First Principles: British Subjects Are To Be Governed Only Agreeable To Laws By Which They Themselves Have In Some Way Consented

“British subjects are to be governed only agreeable to laws by which they themselves have in some way consented.” – Stephen Hopkins, the Greatest Statesman of Rhode Island

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First Principles: The Mind That Aims At A Select Militia, Must Be Influenced By A Truly Anti-Republican Principle

“The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding against … Continue reading

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First Principles: We Should Be Unfaithful To Ourselves If We Should Ever Lose Sight of the Danger to Our Liberties If Anything…Should Infect the Purity of Our Free…and Independent Elections

“We should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose sight of the danger to our liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections.” -John Adams (1797)

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First Principles: If By the Liberty of the Press Were Understood Merely the Liberty of Discussing the Propriety of Public Measures and Political Opinions, Let Us Have As Much of It As You Please

“If by the liberty of the press were understood merely the liberty of discussing the propriety of public measures and political opinions, let us have as much of it as you please: But if it means the liberty of affronting, … Continue reading

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First Principles: He Whose Heart Is Firm, and Whose Conscience Approves His Conduct, Will Pursue His Principles Unto Death

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, … Continue reading

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First Principles: For God So Loved the World That He Gave His One and Only Son, That Whoever Believes In Him Shall Not Perish But Have Eternal Life

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

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First Principles: I Am A Friend To Righteous Government, To A Government Founded Upon the Principles of Reason and Justice. But I Glory In Publicly Avowing My Eternal Enmity To Tyranny

“I am a friend to righteous government, to a government founded upon the principles of reason and justice. But I glory in publicly avowing my eternal enmity to tyranny.”  – John Hancock

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First Principles: The Only Foundation For A Useful Education In A Republic Is To Be Laid In Religion. Without This There Can Be No Virtue and Without Virtue, There Can Be No Liberty and Liberty Is the Object and Life of All Republican Governments

“[T]he only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all … Continue reading

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First Principles: The Principles of Spending Money To Be Paid By Posterity, Under the Name of Funding, Is But Swindling Futurity On A Large Scale

“The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.” – Thomas Jefferson (1816)

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