Thomas Jefferson Quotes
We established however some, although not all its [self-government] important principles . The constitutions of most of our States assert, that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves, in all cases to which they think themselves competent, (as in electing their functionaries executive and legislative, and deciding by a jury of themselves, in all judiciary cases in which any fact is involved,) or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.
Jefferson, Thomas. "To John Cartwright, 5 June 1824." The Works of Thomas Jefferson, edited by Paul Leicester Ford, vol. 12, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1905, p. 356.
Originally it was published in Boston under the name “A Columbian Patriot.” The “principles to which she referred were the principles set out in our Constitution of 1787.
Describing the concept of the House of Representatives:
Some Senators stated that in good conscience they could not vote to curtail freedom of speech or expression. See Edmund Burke {194922} for one of the great statements on the legislator’s obligation.
This was his version of the governing body of a republican commonwealth. His assumption was that the ablest men would be the nobility, the educated and religious (Catholic) elite.
Although opposed to monarchy himself, Langdon argued that a people had a right to select monarchical government if they chose. See {634001} for Rev. Dan Foster’s similar argument at in that period.
He wrote it under the pseudonym of “The Pennsylvanian”.
The committee to draft the Dutch Constitution had met and agreed on a basis for the constitution they would write. However, they decided to run the basis past the General Assembly before they started drafting specific language. There was much enthusiasm for their basis although there were a number of more conservative delegates who would rather have seen the Orangist monarchy brought back. It is easy to see how the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights influenced the Dutch drafters even though the American Constitution was only 11 years old.
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the second vice president of the United States under John Adams between 1797 and 1801. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
