-Caveat Lector- -----Original Message----- From: Iank <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 8:09 PM Subject: [piml] Re: Second Amendment Quotations > > > 1. Second Amendment Quotations > >They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety >deserve neither liberty nor safety. > Benjamin Franklin, Statesman and Inventor > 1759 > >No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms... The strongest reason >for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, >to protect themselves against tyranny in government. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > Proposal of the Virginia Constitution, June 1776 > >What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a >standing army, the bane of liberty. Whenever Governments mean to invade the >rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the >militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins. > Elbridge Gerry, Signer of Declaration of Independence, Massachusetts >Congressman, Vice President (1813-1814) > Spoken during floor debate during States ratification of the Second >Amendment., August 17, 1789 > >...if raised, whether they could subdue a Nation of Freemen, who know how to >prize liberty, and who have arms in their hands? > Delegate Sedgwick, Massachusetts State Representative > During the Massachusetts Convention, rhetorically asking if an >oppressive standing army could prevail over a citizens' Militia, 1779 > >And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to >prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from >keeping their own arms... > Samuel Adams, United States Congress > 1779 > >The great object is that every man be armed and everyone who is able may >have a gun. > Patrick Henry > Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution. > >Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the >people's liberty teeth. > George Washington, First President > >...as the military forces which must be occasionally raised...might pervert >their power to injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by >the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms. > Tench Coxe > Editorial on the Second Amendment Philadelphia Federal Gazette, 1789 > >...to disarm the people - that is the best and most effective way to enslave >them. > George Mason, United States Congress > During Ratification of Bill of Rights, 1779 > >The Constitution of most of our states, and of the United States, assert >that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by >themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > >A free people ought to be armed. When firearms go, all goes - we need them >every hour. > George Washington, First President > Speech of January 7, 1790 in the Boston Independent Chronicle > > >Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon >the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest. > Mahatma Gandhi > Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446 > > >False is the idea of utility...that would take fire from men because it >burns, and water because one may drown in it; that has no remedy for evils, >except destruction of liberty. The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are >laws of such nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor >determined to commit crimes...such laws serve rather to encourage than to >prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater >confidence than an armed man. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > 'Commonplace Book', 1775 > >The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword, >because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force >superior to any band of regular troops... > Noah Webster > An Examination into the Leading Principals of the Federal Constitution >Proposed by the Late Convention, 1787 > >Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who >approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright >force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. The great object is >that every man be armed and everyone who is able may have a gun. > Patrick Henry > During Virginia's ratification convention, 1788 > >Arms in the hands of individual citizens may be used at individual >discretion...in private self-defense. > John Adams, Second President of the United States > A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of >America, 1787-88 > >The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans >possess over the people of almost every other nation...(where) the >governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. > James Madison, United States Congressman > The Federalist #46 > >The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil >interference -- they deserve a place of honor with all that is good. > George Washington, First President > >A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise >the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, >enterprise, and independence Games played with the ball, and others of that >nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let >your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walk > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > >Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in >almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce >unjust laws by the sword; because the whole of the people are armed, and >constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on >any pretense, raised in the United States. > Noah Webster > An Examination into the leading Principles of the Federal Constitution. >in Paul Ford, ed., Pamphlets on the Constitution of the United States, at >56, New York, 1888 > >...but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an >army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of >the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all >inferior to them in discipline and use of arms, who stand ready to defend >their rights... > Alexander Hamilton > Speaking of standing armies in The Federalist 29 > >Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the >people of almost every other nation...nothwithstanding the military >establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far >as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the >people with arms. > James Madison, United States Congressman > Federalist Paper No. 46, at 243-244 > >The right of the people to keep and bear arms has been recognized by the >Central Government; but the best security of that right after all is, the >military spirit, that taste for martial exercises, which has always >distinguished the free citizens of these states...Such men form the best >barrier to the usurpation of the liberties of America. > Gazette of the United States > October 14, 1789 > >The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other >hand, arms, like laws, discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in >awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The same balance >would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all the world >would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them >aside...Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived the use >of them... > Thomas Paine > Thoughts on Defensive War, 1775 > >The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full >possession of them. > Zachariah Johnson > 3 Elliot, Debates at 646. > >Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we >cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between >having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under >the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having >those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal >safety to us, as in our own hands? > Patrick Henry > Debates in the Several State Conventions 45, 2d Ed. Philadelphia, 1836 > >The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be >properly armed. > Alexander Hamilton > The Federalist Papers at 184-8. > >This declaration of rights, I take it, is intended to secure the people >against the maladministration of the Government, if we could suppose that in >all cases, the rights of the people would be attended to, the occasion for >guards of this kind would be removed. Now, I am apprehensive, sir, that this >clause would give an opportunity to the people in power to destroy the >Constitution itself. They can declare who are those religiously scrupulous, >and prevent them from bearing arms. > Elbridge Gerry, Signer of Declaration of Independence, Massachusetts >Congressman, Vice President (1813-1814) > Speaking on the 2d Amendment (I Annals of Congress), August 17, 1789 > >[The American Colonies are] all democratic governments, where the power is >in the hands of the people and where there is not the least difficulty or >jealousy about putting arms into the hands of every man in the country. >[European countries should not] be ignorant of the strength and the force of >such a form of government and how strenuously and almost wonderfully people >living under one have sometimes exerted themselves in defense of their >rights and liberties and how fatally it quarrels, wars and contests with >them. > George Mason, United States Congress > From Remarks on Annual Elections for the Fairfax Independent Company >quoted from the Papers of George Mason, 1725-1792 edited by Robert A. >Rutland, 1970 > >Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a >country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our >enemy can send against us. Beside, sir, we shall not fight our battles >alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of Nations, and >who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. > Patrick Henry > (1736-1799) in his famous The War Inevitable speech, March 1775 > >Instances of the licentious and outrageous behavior of the military >conservators still multiply upon us, some of which are of such nature, and >have been carried to so great lengths, as must serve fully to evince that a >late vote of this town, calling upon its inhabitants to provide themselves >with arms for their defense, was a measure as it was legal natural right >which the people have reserved to themselves, confirmed by the Bill of >Rights [the post-Cromwellian English Bill of Rights] to keep arms for their >own defense; and as Mr. Blackstone observes, it is to be made use of when >the sanctions of society and law are found insufficient to restrain the >violence of oppression. > A Journal of the Times > Colonial Boston newspaper article, (1768-1769) > >The right of self-defense is the first law of nature; in most governments it >has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest >possible limits...and [when] the right of the people to keep and bear arms >is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not >already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction. > George Tucker, Virginia Supreme Court Justice > In I Blackstone COMMENTARIES Sir George Tucker Ed., pg. 300 (App.), 1803 > >No kingdom can be secured otherwise than by arming the people. The >possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave. He who >has nothing, and who himself belongs to another, must be defended by him, >whose property he is, and needs no arms. But he, who things he is his own >master, and has what he can call his own, ought to have arms to defend >himself, and what he possesses; also he lives precariously, and at >discretion. > James Burgh > Political Disquisitions: Or, an Enquiry into Public Errors, Defects, and >Abuses, London, 1774 > >I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of >tyranny over the mind of man. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > >The danger (where there is any) from armed citizens, is only to the >government, not to the society; as long as they have nothing to revenge in >the government (which they cannot have while it is in their own hands) there >are many advantages in their being accustomed to the use of arms and no >possible disadvantage. > J. Barlow > Advice to the Privileged Orders in the Several States of Europe: >Resulting From the Necessity and Propriety of a General Revolution in the >Principle of Government, 1792 > > >One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > To George Washington, 1796 > > >None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army. To keep ours >armed and disciplined is therefore at all times important. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > 1803 > >In defense of our person and properties under actual violation, we took up >arms. When that violence shall be removed, when hostilities shall cease on >the part of the aggressors, hostilities shall cease on our part also. > Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States > Declaration on Taking Up Arms > >[The right to bear arms is] the palladium of the liberties of a republic; >since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary >power of rulers; and will generally, if these are successful in the first >instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them. > Joseph Story, Chief Justice, United States Supreme Court > > > > > > > > > > > >-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> >Download Net2Phone's free software to make FREE calls anywhere within >the US from your PC now! 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