Lysander Spooner Quotes

Quotes about:

• But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.

  Lysander Spooner

  Government, Constitution, Cases

  Lysander Spooner (1971). “The collected works of Lysander Spooner”

  32 Copy quote

• If any man's money can be taken by a so-called government, without his own personal consent, all his other rights are taken with it; for with his money the government can, and will, hire soldiers to stand over him, compel him to submit to its arbitrary will, and kill him if he resists.

  Lysander Spooner

  Taken, Men, Rights

  Lysander Spooner (1886). “A Letter to Grover Cleveland on His False Inaugural Address, the Usurpation and Crimes of Lawmakers and Judges, and Consequent Poverty, Ignorance, and Servitude of the People”

  51 Copy quote

• A man is no less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years.

  Lysander Spooner

  Freedom, Men, Years

  Lysander Spooner (1973). “No Treason and a Letter to Thomas F. Bayard”

  81 Copy quote

• A man's natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime, whether committed by one man, or by millions; whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber, (or by any other name indicating his true character,) or by millions, calling themselves a government.

  Lysander Spooner

  Character, Men, Rights

  Lysander Spooner (1867). “No Treason: No. 1-”, p.7

  40 Copy quote

• Those who are capable of tyranny are capable of perjury to sustain it.

  Lysander Spooner

  Perjury, Tyranny, Capable

  Lysander Spooner (2004). “An Essay on the Trial by Jury”, p.9, The Minerva Group, Inc.

  46 Copy quote

• Government is in reality established by the few; and these few assume the consent of all the rest, without any such consent being actually given.

  Lysander Spooner

  Reality, Government, Assuming

  Lysander Spooner (1847). “The unconstitutionality of slavery: including parts first and second”, p.153

  45 Copy quote

• The fact is that the government, like a highwayman, says to a man: Your money, or your life. And many, if not most, taxes are paid under the compulsion of that threat.

  Lysander Spooner

  Men, Facts, Threat

  Lysander Spooner (1972). “Let's Abolish Government”, Ayer Company Pub

  60 Copy quote

• No government knows any limits to its power except the endurance of the people.

  Lysander Spooner

  Power, Government, People

  Lysander Spooner (1852). “An Essay on the Trial by Jury”, p.19

  29 Copy quote

• These so-called governments are in reality only great bands of robbers and murderers, organized, disciplined, and constantly on the alert.

  Lysander Spooner

  Reality, Government, Band

  Lysander Spooner (1971). “The collected works of Lysander Spooner”

  36 Copy quote

• It is self-evident that no number of men, by conspiring, and calling themselves a government, can acquire any rights whatever over other men, or other men's property, which they had not before, as individuals.

  Lysander Spooner

  Men, Rights, Self

  Lysander Spooner (1971). “The collected works of Lysander Spooner”

  21 Copy quote

• The Rothschilds, and that class of money-lenders of whom they are the representatives and agents - men who never think of lending a shilling to their next-door neighbors, for purposes of honest industry, unless upon the most ample security, and at the highest rate of interest - stand ready, at all times, to lend money in unlimited amounts to those robbers and murderers, who call themselves governments, to be expended in shooting down those who do not submit quietly to being robbed and enslaved.

  Lysander Spooner

  Men, Thinking, Doors

  Lysander Spooner (2013). “No Treason”, p.50, Read Books Ltd

  10 Copy quote

• To say that majorities, as such, have a right to rule minorities, is equivalent to saying that minorities have, and ought to have, no rights, except such as majorities please to allow them.

  Lysander Spooner

  Rights, Majority, Minorities

  Lysander Spooner (1867). “No Treason: No. 1-”, p.8

  24 Copy quote

• If taxation without consent is robbery, the United States government has never had, has not now, and is never likely to have, a single honest dollar in its treasury. If taxation without consent is not robbery, then any band of robbers have only to declare themselves a government, and all their robberies are legalized.

  Lysander Spooner

  Government, United States, Dollars

  "Let's Abolish Government".

  15 Copy quote

• There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice.

  Lysander Spooner

  Criminals, Injustice, Resisting

  Lysander Spooner (1850). “A Defence for Fugitive Slaves”, p.36

  7 Copy quote

• Our constitutions purport to be established by 'the people,' and, in theory, 'all the people' consent to such government as the constitutions authorize. But this consent of 'the people' exists only in theory. It has no existence in fact. Government is in reality established by the few; and these few assume the consent of all the rest, without any such consent being actually given.

  Lysander Spooner

  Reality, Government, People

  Lysander Spooner (1847). “The unconstitutionality of slavery: including parts first and second”, p.153

  21 Copy quote

• The apology, that is constantly put forth for the injustice of government, viz., that a man must consent to give up some of his rights, in order to have his other rights protected - involves a palpable absurdity, both legally and politically.

  Lysander Spooner

  Giving Up, Apology, Men

  Lysander Spooner (1845). “The Unconstitutionality of Slavery”, p.21

  21 Copy quote

• And the men who loan money to governments, so called, for the purpose of enabling the latter to rob, enslave, and murder their people, are among the greatest villains that the world has ever seen. And they as much deserve to be hunted and killed (if they cannot otherwise be got rid of) as any slave traders, robbers, or pirates that ever lived.

  Lysander Spooner

  Men, People, Pirate

  Lysander Spooner (1973). “No Treason and a Letter to Thomas F. Bayard”

  8 Copy quote

• The right and the physical power of the people to resist injustice, are really the only securities that any people ever can have for their liberties. Practically no government knows any limit to its power but the endurance of the people.

  Lysander Spooner

  Government, People, Liberty

  Lysander Spooner (1850). “A Defence for Fugitive Slaves”, p.30

  23 Copy quote

• The only idea they have ever manifested as to what is a government of consent, is this - that it is one to which everybody must consent, or be shot.

  Lysander Spooner

  Government, Ideas, Shots

  Lysander Spooner (1972). “Let's Abolish Government”, Ayer Company Pub

  12 Copy quote

• Children learn many principles of natural law at a very early age. For example: they learn that when one child has picked up an apple or a flower, it is his, and that his associates must not take it from him against his will.

  Lysander Spooner

  Children, Flower, Law

  Lysander Spooner (1847). “The unconstitutionality of slavery: including parts first and second”, p.141

  5 Copy quote

• All restraints upon man's natural liberty, not necessary for the simple maintenance of justice, are of the nature of slavery, and differ from each other only in degree.

  Lysander Spooner

  Freedom, Simple, Men

  Lysander Spooner (1973). “No Treason and a Letter to Thomas F. Bayard”

  12 Copy quote

• All these cries of having "abolished slavery," of having "saved the country," of having "preserved the union," of establishing a "government of consent," and of "maintaining the national honor," are all gross, shameless, transparent cheats - so transparent that they ought to deceive no one.

  Lysander Spooner

  Country, Government, Honor

  Lysander Spooner (1972). “Let's Abolish Government”, Ayer Company Pub

  11 Copy quote

• For everybody has a natural right not only to defend his own person and property against aggressors, but also to go to the assistance and defence of everybody else, whose person or property is invaded. The natural right of each individual to defend his own person and property against an aggressor, and to go to the assistance and defence of every one else whose person or property is invaded, is a right without which men could not exist on earth.

  Lysander Spooner

  Men, Earth, Citizenship

  "Vices Are Not Crimes: A Vindication of Moral Liberty".

  33 Copy quote

• A man's 'original and natural right' to make all contracts that are 'intrinsically obligatory,' and to coerce the fulfillment of them, is one of the most valuable and indispensable of all human possessions.

  Lysander Spooner

  Men, Natural, Contracts

  Lysander Spooner (1886). “A Letter to Grover Cleveland on His False Inaugural Address, the Usurpation and Crimes of Lawmakers and Judges, and Consequent Poverty, Ignorance, and Servitude of the People”

  10 Copy quote

• The strong are always free by virtue of their superior strength. So long as government is a mere contest as to which of two parties shall rule the other, the weaker must always succumb. And whether the contest be carried on with ballots or bullets, the principle is the same; for under the theory of government now prevailing, the ballot either signifies a bullet, or it signifies nothing. And no one can consistently use a ballot, unless he intends to use a bullet, if the latter should be needed to insure submission to the former.

  Lysander Spooner

  Strong, Party, Two

  Lysander Spooner (1867). “No Treason: No. 1-”

  18 Copy quote

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