Lawful Governance Quotes

Let every American … swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country and never to tolerate their violation by others. Let reverence for the laws … become the political religion of the nation.

We want a Supreme Court which will do justice under the Constitution - not over it. In our courts we want a government of laws and not of men.

Decency, security and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen. In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously.

If you rely on political factions to promote men to office, the people will work to develop instrumental relationships and will not seek to be useful with regard to the law. Thus, a ruler who mistakes reputation for ability when assigning offices will see his state fall into disorder.

Our whole system of self-government will crumble either if officials elect what laws they will enforce or citizens elect what laws they will support.

The law, the will of the majority expressed in orderly, constitutional methods, is the only king to which we bow.

It is ridiculous to sue the president on a Wednesday because he oversteps the law, as he has done a dozen times illegally and unconstitutionally, and then on a Thursday say that he should overstep the law, contradict the law that passed in 2008 and deal with this himself.

If the law is upheld only by government officials, then all law is at an end.

Standing here in a house of history, and acutely aware of my own imperfections, I pledge that if I am confirmed I will do all my powers permit to be a faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great country.

Any government is free to the people under it where the laws rule and the people are a party to the laws.

In our administration, we're going to follow the law, and any policy that we move forward will fall well within the law and the Arizona Constitution.

This is why it's bad to run a country by executive order: because our nation runs on laws - when everyone knows the law, and everyone knows what it is, you know both the law and the consequence, and you get that.

The sanctity of law can be maintained only so long as it is the expression of the will of the people.

Every law is a contract between the king and the people and therefore to be kept.

The Mayor, Aldermen and Councilors of the City of Nauvoo, IL, before entering upon the duties of their office, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation that they will support the Constitution of the United States, and of this State and that they will well and truly perform the duties of their offices to the best of their skill and abilities.

Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law.

Freedom under the law must never be taken for granted.

Good government is an empire of laws.

I don't want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.

I hope We shall e’er long renounce some of our Monarchical Corruptions, and become Republicans in Principle in Sentiment, in feeling and in Practice. In Republican Governments the Majesty is all in the Laws. They only are to be adored.

What is the true End of Monarchy? Not to deprive People of their natural Liberty; but to correct their Actions, in order to attain the supreme Good. it is better to be subject to the Laws under one Master, than to be subservient to many

Let all the laws be clear, uniform and precise for interpreting laws is almost always to corrupt them.

The king ought not to be under any man, but under God and under the law, for the law makes the king. Rex non debet esse sub homine sed sub Deo et lege, quia lex facit regem.

Here is a law which is above the King and which even he must not break. This reaffirmation of a supreme law and its expression in a general charter is the great work of Magna Carta; and this alone justifies the respect in which men have held it

IT may be proper to observe further, that this Duty is not confined to those who live under any one particular Form of Government: It extends to the Subjects of all regular States, lawfully established.