Alexander Hamilton Quotes About Constitution

Quotes about: Constitution

• The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Men, Administration, Constitution

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1852). “The Federalist, on the new constitution, written in 1788, with an appendix, containing the letters of Pacificus and Helvidius on the proclamation of neutrality of 1793, also the original articles of confederation and the constitution of the United States”, p.94

• A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, Law, Energy

  Alexander Hamilton (1851). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Comprising His Correspondence, and His Political and Official Writings, Exclusive of the Federalist, Civil and Military. Published from the Original Manuscripts Deposited in the Department of State, by Order of the Joint Library Committee of Congress”, p.164

• If it were to be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws - the first growing out of the last . . . . A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Law, Government, Answers

  Alexander Hamilton, Morton J. Frisch (1985). “Selected writings and speeches of Alexander Hamilton”, Aei Pr

• Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Change, Constitution Of The United States, Reason

  Alexander Hamilton, Donald R. Hickey, Connie D. Clark (2006). “Citizen Hamilton: The Wit and Wisdom of an American Founder”, p.37, Rowman & Littlefield

• It has been frequently remarked, that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country to decide, by their conduct and example, the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not, of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend, for their political constitutions, on accident and force.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Country, Reflection, Men

  Alexander Hamilton (1810). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Comprising His Most Important Official Reports: An Improved Edition of the Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in 1788; and Pacificus, on the Proclamation of Neutrality, Written in 1793 ...”, p.1

• For my part, I sincerely esteem the Constitution, a system which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.

  Alexander Hamilton

  4th Of July, Diversity, Constitution

• Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive, that, in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Rights, Government, Political

  Alexander Hamilton (1831). “The Federalist on the New Constitution, Written in the Year 1788, with an Appendix Containing the Letters of Pacificus and Helvidius on the Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793”, p.385

• As riches increase and accumulate in few hands, as luxury prevails in society, virtue will be in a greater degree considered as only a graceful appendage of wealth, and the tendency of things will be to depart from the republican standard. This is the real disposition of human nature; it is what neither the honorable member nor myself can correct. It is a common misfortunate that awaits our State constitution, as well as all others.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Real, Hands, Luxury

  Alexander Hamilton, John Church Hamilton (1850). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Miscellanies, 1774-1789: A full vindication; The farmer refuted; Quebec bill; Resolutions in Congress; Letters from Phocion; New-York Legislature, etc”, p.443

• [T]he present Constitution is the standard to which we are to cling. Under its banners, bona fide must we combat our political foes - rejecting all changes but through the channel itself provides for amendments.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Political, Constitution, Amendments

• If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, People, Use

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1842). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in the Year 1788”, p.144

• The powers contained in a constitution...ought to be construed liberally in advancement of the public good.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Advancement, Constitution, Ought

• While the constitution continues to be read, and its principles known, the states, must, by every rational man, be considered as essential component parts of the union; and therefore the idea of sacrificing the former to the latter is totally inadmissible.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Sacrifice, Men, Ideas

  Alexander Hamilton, John Church Hamilton (1850). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Miscellanies, 1774-1789: A full vindication; The farmer refuted; Quebec bill; Resolutions in Congress; Letters from Phocion; New-York Legislature, etc”, p.449

• [E]very act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Men, People, Acting

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Quentin P. Taylor, John Jay (1998). “The Essential Federalist: A New Reading of the Federalist Papers”, p.145, Rowman & Littlefield

• What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Law, Republic, Sacred

  American Daily Advertiser, August 28, 1794.

• The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential in a limited Constitution. By a limited Constitution, I understand one which contains certain specified exceptions to the legislative authority. Limitations of this kind can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Rights, Practice, Justice

  The Federalist Papers, No. 78 ("The Judiciary Department"), www.congress.gov. May 28, 1788.

• We are attempting, by this Constitution, to abolish factions, and to unite all parties for the general welfare.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Party, Constitution, Welfare

  Alexander Hamilton (1962). “Papers”

• Civil liberty is only natural liberty, modified and secured by the sanctions of civil society. It is not a thing, in its own nature, precarious and dependent on human will and caprice; but it is conformable to the constitution of man, as well as necessary to the well-being of society.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Men, Liberty, Constitution

  Alexander Hamilton, John Church Hamilton (1850). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Miscellanies, 1774-1789: A full vindication; The farmer refuted; Quebec bill; Resolutions in Congress; Letters from Phocion; New-York Legislature, etc”, p.61

• Allow a government to decline paying its debts and you overthrow all public morality-you unhinge all the principles that preserve the limits of free constitutions. Nothing can more affect national prosperity than a constant and systematic attention to extinguish the present debt and to avoid as much as possibly the incurring of any new debt.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, Principles, Attention

• In this distribution of powers the wisdom of our constitution is manifested. It is the province and duty of the Executive to preserve to the Nation the blessings of peace. The Legislature alone can interrupt those blessings, by placing the Nation in a state of War.

  Alexander Hamilton

  War, Blessing, Distribution Of Power

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1842). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in the Year 1788”, p.410

• Good constitutions are formed upon a comparison of the liberty of the individual with the strength of government: If the tone of either be too high, the other will be weakened too much. It is the happiest possible mode of conciliating these objects, to institute one branch peculiarly endowed with sensibility, another with knowledge and firmness. Through the opposition and mutual control of these bodies, the government will reach, in its regular operations, the perfect balance between liberty and power.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, Perfect, Balance

  Alexander Hamilton (2017). “The Political Writings of Alexander Hamilton:”, p.659, Cambridge University Press

• There is no position which depends on clearer principles than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Principles, Void, Constitution

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2004). “The Federalist Papers”, p.556, Simon and Schuster

• If we set out with... a scrupulous regard to the Constitution, the government will acquire a spirit and a tone productive of permanent blessings to the community. If on the contrary,... the Constitution is slighted, or explained away, upon every frivolous pretext, the future of government will be feeble, distracted and arbitrary. The rights of the subjects will be the sport of every party vicissitude. There will be no settled rule of conduct, but everything will fluctuate with the alternate prevalency of contending factions.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Sports, Party, Blessing

• It is one thing to be subordinate to the laws, and another [for the Executive] to be dependent on the legislative body. The first comports with, the last violates, the fundamental principles of good government; and, whatever may be the forms of the Constitution, unites all power in the same hands.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, Hands, Law

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1831). “The Federalist on the New Constitution”, p.357

• If the Constitution is adopted (and it was) the Union will be in fact and in theory an association of States or a Confederacy.

  Alexander Hamilton

  War, Unions, Association

• A treaty cannot be made which alters the Constitution of the country, or which infringes and express exceptions to the power of the Constitution.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Country, Constitution, Made

  Alexander Hamilton (1851). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Cabinet papers [contin.] 1794-1795. [Miscellanies, 1794-1795] Military papers. 1798-1800. Correspondence [contin.] 1789-1795”, p.121

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