Thomas Jefferson Quote

"The judiciary of the United States is the subtle corps of sappers and miners constantly working under ground to undermine the foundations of our confederated fabric. They are construing our constitution from a coordination of a general and special government to a general and supreme one alone. This will lay all things at their feet... We shall see if they are bold enough to take the daring stride their five lawyers have lately taken. If they do, then... I will say, that 'against this every man should raise his voice,' and more, should uplift his arm."

by:	Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source:	(Letter to T. Ritchie, 1820). THE POLITICAL WRITINGS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON 152-153 (Dumbauld Ed. 1955)
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Categories:	Constitution, Corruption, Defense, Despotism, Government, Justice, Politics, Power, Protest, Resistance
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There is no nation on earth with a more corrupt judiciarly than is found in the US.  -- Mike, Norwalk      2
-- Tom Osborne, Los Angeles, CA
It is not even permitted to cite cases prior to 1933 before the Supreme Court now. Once the Common Law jurisdiction was merged with Commercial Law, persons have become corporations and corporations have become persons. The Constitution is mute and without a constituency.  -- E Archer, NYC      3 1
This quote sounds as though Jefferson was talking about the current U.S. Supreme Court.  -- jim k, austin      3
The Constitution, as Jefferson says, is being relegated to the sidelines. Along with your civil rights and property rights. And as Jefferson says...the Tree of Liberty must be watered occasionally with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants. I place great faith and hope in the American patriot.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      3
-- Anonymous
I have never understood why everyone treats the judiciary with such reverence. They are, after all, just lawyers. Why is it we accept their judgments as if they were the word of God from on high? Remember, there have been and will continue to be flawed decisions and wrong decisions (Dred Scott for instance). The people are the final arbiters of justice if only we the people have the guts to do our duty.  -- Ken, Allyn, WA      3
Archer, a State's Supreme Court Law Library, in near by state in the early 80s, was told to dump all pre 1954 law books and references. I ask the librarian if I could just take them and he answered no, that he had to throw them all away. He did tell me when he was going down to the trash ;-).  -- Mike, Norwalk      3
Ken we accept their judgement because God is not speaking to us directly. Beware of those who have a direct line to God and will dictate to you and I. Since we do not have that we then come and reason together to determine the correct Solomonic course of action. They way that we have chosen to come together in this our country is via an institution called The US Supreme Court. The acceptance and obedience to law is the definition of a civilized people. Now we can reason together and change the law but until then we are to obey it, that is what law means.  -- Anonymous      1 3
Anonymous, I believe all men have a direct line to God (taking advantage of that line is another issue). If individuals claim authority to dictate by the word of God, they have professed them selves to be liars. Men coming together to observe natural law and justice in history (cause / effect and otherwise) and reason - one with another as individual sovereigns at liberty, is a very good start at determining a correct Solomonic course of action. Those that chose to come together in this land did so based on the laws of nature and of nature's God - NOT via an institution called The US Supreme Court. By way of extremely terse example: there is no danger I apprehend so much as the consolidation of our government by the noiseless, and therefore unalarming, instrumentality of the Supreme Court." (Thomas Jefferson) As to your acceptance and obedience to law - I say, what law? Natural law, tyranny from legal positivism as is now the carnal US Supreme Court or the demonic despotism from the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land's judiciary? At Constitutional / natural law, carnal man can not change the law, corporeal man can only change rules of "order". Your meaning of law uniquely derives from malefactor slave masters, NOT from individual sovereigns united at liberty conforming to natural law.  -- Mike, Norwalk      2
Reality, acutely rendered, as ever, by the Maestro of Monticello. A certain means by which those who are ambitious and unscrupulous endeavor to usurp power and undermine Republican government. Unfailingly, as the influence of Virtue wanes, laws proliferate and, ineluctably, complexity and illegality wax.  -- Patrick Henry, Red Hill      1
-- Ronw13, OR

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