Tag Archives: First Principles

First Principles: There Is No Government Capable of Contending With Human Passions Unbridled By Morality and Religion

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution … Continue reading

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First Principles: In the Struggle For Liberty, Be Willing To Know the Whole Truth; To know the Worst and To Provide For It

“It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth – and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this … Continue reading

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First Principles: The Real Man Smiles In Trouble, Smiles In Trouble, Gathers Strength From Distress and Grows Brave By Reflection

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” – Thomas Paine Allowing of the context of the mores of the time and circumstances, please extrapolate this to his real meaning, ‘real people with true … Continue reading

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First Principles: The Bible Teaches Us the Way To Be Happy In This World and In the Next

“The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life … Continue reading

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First Principles: If We Mean To Have Heroes, Statesmen and Philosophers, We Should Have Learned Women

“If we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Philosophers, we should have learned women. The world perhaps would laugh at me, and accuse me of vanity, but you I know have a mind too enlarged and liberal to disregard the … Continue reading

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First Principles: Rebellion To Tyrants Is Obedience To God

“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” – Benjamin Franklin      

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First Principles: Political Parties May Answer Popular Ends But With the Course of Time Allow Unprincipled Persons To Usurp the Reins of Government

However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the … Continue reading

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First Principles: A Universal Peace Only Exists In the Imagination of Visionary Philosophers and Breasts of Benevolent Enthusiasts

“A universal peace … is in the catalogue of events, which will never exist but in the imaginations of visionary philosophers, or in the breasts of benevolent enthusiasts.” – James Madison (1792) Two seemingly contradictory statements.  Yet, we find the … Continue reading

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First Principles: Never Let A Difference of Opinion In Politics, Religion Or Philosophy Be A Cause From Withdrawing From A Friend

“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” – Thomas Jefferson      

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First Principles: To Restore Harmony As One People Acting As One Nation Should Be the Object Of Every Patriot

“To restore … harmony … to render us again one people acting as one nation should be the object of every man really a patriot.” – Thomas Jefferson (1801)      

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