Joseph Story Quotes - Page 2

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• It should therefore be difficult in a republic to declare war; but not to make peace.

  Joseph Story

  War, Republic, Should

  Joseph Story, Edmund H. Bennett (1858). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the Un. States: With a Prelim. Review of the Constitut. History of the Colonies and States, Bef. the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.97

  9 Copy quote

• How easily men satisfy themselves that the Constitution is exactly what they wish it to be

  Joseph Story

  Men, Wish, Constitution

  Joseph Story (2013). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States”, p.14, Quid Pro Books

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• There is not a truth to be gathered from history more certain, or more momentous, than this: that civil liberty cannot long be separated from religious liberty without danger, and ultimately without destruction to both. Wherever religious liberty exists, it will, first or last, bring in and establish political liberty.

  Joseph Story

  Religious, Truth, Long

  Joseph Story (1852). “The miscellaneous writings of Joseph Story ... ed. by his son, William W. Story”, p.441

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• A new invention to poison people ... is not a patentable invention.

  Joseph Story

  People, Poison, New Inventions

  4 Copy quote

• At the time of the adoption of the constitution, and of the amendment to it, now under consideration [i.e., the First Amendment], the general, if not the universal sentiment in America was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state, so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience, and the freedom of religious worship.

  Joseph Story

  Religious, Encouragement, America

  8 Copy quote

• If the Constitution is a compact, then the States have a right to secede.

  Joseph Story

  War, Constitution, States

  5 Copy quote

• The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

  Joseph Story

  Government, People, United States

  Joseph Story (1851). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.296

  27 Copy quote

• There never has been a period of history, in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundation.

  Joseph Story

  Lying, Law, Liberty

  13 Copy quote

• The militia is the natural defense of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with which they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people.

  Joseph Story

  Country, Military, Mean

  Joseph Story (2012). “A Familiar Exposition of the Constitution of the United States: Containing a Brief Commentary on Every Clause, Explaining the True Nature, Reasons, and Objects Thereof : Designed for the Use of School Libraries and General Readers : with an Appendix, Containing Important Public Documents, Illustrative of the Constitution”, p.265, The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.

  13 Copy quote

• The true test is, whether the object be of a local character, and local use; or, whether it be of general benefit to the states. If it be purely local, congress cannot constitutionally appropriate money for the object. But, if the benefit be general, it matters not, whether in point of locality it be in one state, or several; whether it be of large, or of small extent.

  Joseph Story

  Character, Benefits, Federalism

  Joseph Story (1858). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: with a preliminary review of the constitutional history of the colonies and states, before the adoption of the Constitution”, p.162

  7 Copy quote

• In a general sense, all contributions imposed by the government upon individuals for the service of the state, are called taxes, by whatever name they may be known, whether by the name of tribute, tythe, tallage, impost, duty, gabel, custom, subsidy, aid, supply, excise, or other name.

  Joseph Story

  Government, Names, Taxation

  16 Copy quote

• The state governments have a full superintendence and control over the immense mass of local interests of their respective states, which connect themselves with the feelings, the affections, the municipal institutions, and the internal arrangements of the whole population. They possess, too, the immediate administration of justice in all cases, civil and criminal, which concern the property, personal rights, and peaceful pursuits of their own citizens.

  Joseph Story

  Government, Rights, Justice

  Joseph Story (1833). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.191

  14 Copy quote

• So that the executive and legislative branches of the national government depend upon, and emanate from the states. Every where the state sovereignties are represented; and the national sovereignty, as such, has no representation.

  Joseph Story

  Government, Federalism, Branches

  Joseph Story (1873). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.370, Boston : Little, Brown

  24 Copy quote

• No man can well doubt the propriety of placing a president of the United States under the most solemn obligations to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution. It is a suitable pledge of his fidelity and responsibility to his country; and creates upon his conscience a deep sense of duty, by an appeal, at once in the presence of God and man, to the most sacred and solemn sanctions which can operate upon the human mind.

  Joseph Story

  Country, Responsibility, Men

  Joseph Story (1833). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.339

  14 Copy quote

• The duty imposed upon him [the president] to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, follows out the strong injunctions of his oath of office, that he will 'preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.' The great object of the executive department is to accomplish this purpose; and without it, be the form of government whatever it may, it will be utterly worthless for offence or defense; for the redress of grievances or the protection of rights; for the happiness, or good order, or safety of the people.

  Joseph Story

  Strong, Rights, Government

  Joseph Story (1851). “Commentaries on the constitution of the United States”, p.357

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• How much more do they deserve our reverence and praise, whose lives are devoted to the formation of institutions, which, when they and their children are mingled in the common dust, may continue to cherish the principles and the practice of liberty in perpetual freshness and vigour.

  Joseph Story

  Children, Government, Dust

  Joseph Story (1833). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.486

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• It was under a solemn consciousness of the dangers from ecclesiastical ambition, the bigotry of spiritual pride, and the intolerance of sects... that is was deemed advisable to exclude from the national government all power to act upon the subject.

  Joseph Story

  Spiritual, Ambition, Pride

  Joseph Story (1833). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.702

  18 Copy quote

• The First Amendment was not intended to withdraw the Christian religion as a whole from the protection of Congress.

  Joseph Story

  Christian, Religious, Firsts

  5 Copy quote

• A government, forever changing and changeable, is, indeed, in a state bordering upon anarchy and confusion.

  Joseph Story

  Government, Confusion, Forever

  Joseph Story (1833). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.686

  6 Copy quote

• Human wisdom is the aggregate of all human experience, constantly accumulating, and selecting, and re-organizing its own materials.

  Joseph Story

  Wisdom, Experience, Materials

  "Life and Letters of Joseph Story: Edited by his son William W. Story".

  7 Copy quote

• Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unaw'd by influence and unbrib'd by gain; Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw, Pledg'd to Religion, Liberty, and Law.

  Joseph Story

  Law, People, Liberty

  7 Copy quote

• I will not say with Lord Hale, that "The Law will admit of no rival" . . . but I will say that it is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage.

  Joseph Story

  Jealous, Law, Long

  Joseph Story (1835). “The Miscellaneous Writings: Literary, Critical, Juridical, and Political of Joseph Story, Now First Collected”, p.456

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• Be brief, be pointed, let your matter standLucid in order, solid and at hand;Spend not your words on trifles but condense;Strike with the mass of thought, not drops of sense;Press to close with vigor, once begun,And leave, (how hard the task!) leave off, when done.

  Joseph Story

  Hands, Order, Matter

  Joseph Story (1851). “Life and Letters of Joseph Story: Edited by his son William W. Story. (Mit 1 Porträt.)”, p.88

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• Constitutions are not designed for metaphysical or logical subtleties, for niceties of expression, for critical propriety, for elaborate shades of meaning, or for the exercise of philosophical acuteness or judicial research. They are instruments of a practical nature, founded on the common business of human life, adapted to common wants, designed for common use, and fitted for common understandings.

  Joseph Story

  Philosophical, Exercise, Expression

  Joseph Story (1851). “Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States: With a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution”, p.322

  11 Copy quote

• He who seeks equity must do equity.

  Joseph Story

  Equity

  Joseph Story (1861). “Commentaries on Equity Jurisprudence: As Administered in England and America”, p.10

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