On this the 235th anniversary of the United States revolution, which reintroduced democracy to the world after a very long absence, it is befitting to study and quote some of the salient founding fathers:
"Democratical states must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their governments slow, but the people will be right at last... When a people shall have become incapable of governing themselves, and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes."
- George Washington, Letter to Marquis de Lafayette, July 25, 1785 and April 28, 1788 respectively.
"It has ever been my hobby-horse to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen, without one noble or one king among them. You say it is impossible. If I should agree with you in this, I would still say, let us try the experiment, and preserve our equality as long as we can."
- John Adams, To Count Starsfield, February 3, 1786.
"I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master. Could the contrary of this be proved, I should conclude either that there is no God or that He is a malevolent being."
- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to David Hartley, 1787.
"We may define a [democratic] republic ... as a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it."
- James Madison, The Federalist Papers, 1788
"Democratical states must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their governments slow, but the people will be right at last... When a people shall have become incapable of governing themselves, and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes."
- George Washington, Letter to Marquis de Lafayette, July 25, 1785 and April 28, 1788 respectively.
"It has ever been my hobby-horse to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen, without one noble or one king among them. You say it is impossible. If I should agree with you in this, I would still say, let us try the experiment, and preserve our equality as long as we can."
- John Adams, To Count Starsfield, February 3, 1786.
"I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master. Could the contrary of this be proved, I should conclude either that there is no God or that He is a malevolent being."
- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to David Hartley, 1787.
"We may define a [democratic] republic ... as a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it."
- James Madison, The Federalist Papers, 1788
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