Famous James Monroe Quote 

"It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt,
when they degenerate into a populace,
that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.
Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found.
The people themselves become the willing instruments
of their own debasement and ruin."

by:
James Monroe
(1758-1831), 5th US President
Source:
First Inaugural Address, 1817
Categories:
 
Bookmark and Share

Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Chuck Woolery, Rockville MD 
Twice true for a govt.\church school?
 -- J, OaktowN		 
This is a reflection of our government and society today. When we elect our representatives to the highest offices in government that we know to be ignorant (usually corruption follows) then it is us who are the ultimate sovereignty that should be prosecuted - and I think that is now taking place.
 -- Robert, Sarasota		 
Makes sense to me.The people become corrupt after years of exposure to corrupt governmental representatives.When THE PEOPLE give up Faith in their elected (ha-ha) representatives Apathy is born and nurtured with continued userpations upon THE PEOPLE from their corrupt representatives.When THE PEOPLE finally say:"We're not gonna take it anymore",then watch for the world to change....for the betterment of The People.Amen
 -- Me Again, Your Town,USA.		 
Government is a reflection of the people. The corruption starts with the people. When we start to expect the government to take care of our responsibilities, we get a Bill, Hillary, or our current congress. Corruption always fills a void left when responsibilities are ignored. We get what we are. If we want government to change we must begin with ourselves.
 -- Warren, Olathe		 
And here we are. When people vote their pocketbooks they get politicians who are thieves, willing to steal from one to give to another to buy votes for themselves. And they can do that with a tax system so arcane even the 100,000 strong agency that administers it can't figure it out. It has become a vehicle of corruption and government intrusion, social engineering, corruption. Fairtax.org
 -- helorat, Milton		 
The statement reiterates a truism concerning the God of Nature's laws.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Damn "isolationists," thank goodness for them.
 -- Gölök Zoltán Leenderdt Franco Buday, Vancouver, GVRD(Paine Cnty), Coastal Lwr Mainland BC(State of Neo Sumer), U.S. of Eh!		 
More votes, more referendums, more recalls, in short more democracy could serve to keep the scoundrels on a shorter leash. When virtually every industry in this country is bigger than the government there is only so much government can do. For example the Bank of America has 100,000 employees. If you add up the employees of all the banking industry I hazard to suggest a number in excess of five million. Auto industry, oil industry you get the idea, each of these industries are much bigger than the Federal Government. Government is generally benign. Laws are made to be observed by a law abiding citizenry. We stop at stop signs even though there is no cop around. The tax system is designed to be complied with in the same good citizen manner. The biggest problem with income tax system is with the honesty and correctness of the returns. That is one of the first corruptions in our society and the estimated annual shortfall due to pure lying is $200 billion dollars. It would even help a budget as deficient as Mr. Bushes. With a budget of $2.7 trillion a piddling $200 billion does not sound like much but it adds up year after year. In five years you are talking $1 trillion. The Feds could be out of debt if we could get this money.
 -- Bruce, "bama		 
Bruce, lol. If everyone allowed a full federal larceny to extract all that the government wanted to steal, the debt would Only be greater because the politicians would feel free to then overspend a larger budget. Income tax is a violation of being and theft under any definition and, your comment only goes to show; don't steal, the government hates competition.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
All I can say Bruce is YIKES! Lets give the federal government more of our money? No thank you what we need to do is return the power to the people and shrink the fed. States are perfectly capable of providing for the safety and well being of their citizens the fed should be a centralized body hearing issues that concern us as a nation (civil rights, national security etcetera ) if we could get the fed out of big business we could get big business out of the fed. I agree with Robert that this statement is reflective of the state of our nation today. I think James Monroe was trying to say "degenerate into a Populace" through ignorance and corruption meaning loose their moral rudder and become uncivilized through greed and self gratification. The preamble to the constitution starts WE the PEOPLE not I the individual. Until America takes hold of her moral rudder again she is being driven by the winds of ???
 -- Sam, Frisco City Alabama		 
OK, we know this already. How do we get out from under the thumb of the usurpers? ;-)
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
I always wonder whether big business buys politicians or is extorted by them. Maybe both. As for myself, I fear 100,000 IRS agents much more than I fear 100,000 Bank of America employees. Bank of America employees don't come to my house with guns when I fail to make a deposit. The first step to getting out from under the thumb of usurpers is to stop behaving like thieves ourselves. Stop voting for the congressman who brings home the most pork. That probably will not happen though. Everyone loves their bacon (or more specifically, someone else's bacon). I believe it will eventually take some cataclysmic event to make enough people realize it is time to hit the reset button on government.
 -- Ken, Allyn, WA		 
Ken fail to pay your Bank of America mortgage or car payment and see how fast they move on you. Much faster I would bet than the Feds would. Compared to the size of our economy the Fed is not big. Add up the number of city, county, and state governments, employees etcetera and you will see BIG.
 -- Bruce, 'Bama		 
Sam you don't understand? When the Republicans (Reagan and the Bushes at least) run for President they say "no more taxes" and "tax cut, tax cut" and then they go out and sell bonds to their rich friends at 5%. They call their Democratic Party rivals "tax and spend" Democrats. They fail to explain that they are "borrow and spend" Republicans. This demogogurery (sic) has gotten Uncle Sam into 8 trillion dollars of debt. We owe the Chineese 1 trillion. And recently it was rumored that the Chineese could hold us hostage with this debt. No economic entity (you, your company, your city,county or state) can exist running in the red year after year. It is a lie that the Uncle Sam can or should do what no else can. The Nation needs a tax and spend policy that balances more often than not. But now we need more than balance we need surpluses annually to pay off the accumulated debt of the past. We talk much about freedom on this site and financial freedom is a wonderful thing, for you, me, companies, cities, counties and states. Would it not be wonderful to have a debt free Uncle Sam. All he has to do is pay off all of the bonds, 8 trillion dollars worth.
 -- Bruce, 'Bama		 
Bookmark and Share
Rate this quote!
How many stars?
0
1
2
3
4
5
 
What do YOU think?
Your name:
Your town:
    CLICK JUST ONCE!

  
Get a Quote-A-Day! Free!
Liberty Quotes sent to your mail box.
Email:
 
This site is supported
by donors like you!

More Quotations

Read the Bills Act Coalition
Quotes & Quotations - Send This Quote to a Friend

© 1998-2008 Liberty-Tree.ca