James Madison Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree."

by:	James Madison (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
Source:	speech at the Constitutional Convention, July 11, 1787
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Categories:	Founder, Power, Skepticism, Trust
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Reader comments about this quote:

After having been to an Amerikan court or 2 (observing cops, judges, prosecutors, etc.) - this comes as an extreme under statement. -- Mike, Norwalk 3
I'll go Madison one better: All men ( make that "mankind" ) ought to be distrusted to a certain degree." ( There IS that issue of "... to a certain degree;" which gives Jimmy boy an out ! But verily -- to be totally "trusting" is ( ultimately ) to invite disaster: the damage may primarily be to our own hubris and ego, but nonetheless, there can be disaster. YES, the key is in the phrase, "a certain degree." -- Bobble, No. Ferrisburgh, VT
As pertaining to government, just put a period after the word "distrusted". -- jim k, Austin 1
Distrusting standing armies and the banks. Jefferson and Madison had dismantled,the " system " of Hamilton and the Federalist party thriving on war. To much discretionary power give to the Executive. No nation can preserve its freedom in a continual state of war. Got rid of the central bank and lowered the taxes. ( Then the second war for Independence. ) perhaps that is what we need to do now. Then as Madison, Jackson and others, fought on the field of Battle, winning one of the greatest times of peace that followed ! The metal of men to be tested again. ! will come ! -- Ronw13, Yachats OR 2
The power to create 'money' and load the People with massive, unpayable debt is a power that has been refused to the US government. However, through trickery and deceit that is exactly what the federal government now does as a matter of daily practice. Ronw13, Jefferson simply allowed the first national bank charter to expire rather than renew it during his term. Unfortunately, Madison chartered the second national bank that Andrew Jackson later refused to renew despite assassination attempts. Lincoln created the Greenback in lieu of granting another national bank charter -- this was most likely the real reason he was assassinated. Garfield was left with all this fiat currency in circulation and was trying to figure out how to keep the volume of currency in circulation since fiat currency is 'destroyed' when loans are paid back -- he was assassinated shortly thereafter. The Federal Reserve was founded by Wilson in 1913, and FDR later traded in the nations's gold supply to the privately owned Federal Reserve in exchange for the Federal Reserve Note (just another central bank's fiat currency). JFK began reissuing Silver Certificates interest-free -- he was assassinated shortly thereafter and LBJ recalled all those certificates and borrowed from the Fed instead. The power to create and destroy money at will is ultimate power and NO ONE was to be trusted with such power over the People. -- E Archer, NYC 2

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