Alexander Hamilton Quotes About Democracy

Quotes about: Democracy

• It has been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position is more false than this. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Character, Democracies Have, Government

  Alexander Hamilton (1850). “The works of Alexander Hamilton; compris. his corresp. and his polit. and official writings, excl. of the federalist, civil and military. Ed. by John C. Hamilton”, p.440

• We are now forming a republican government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Freedom, Real, Government

  Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton (1932). “Jeffersonian principles and Hamiltonian principles: extracts from the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton”

• The practice of arbitrary imprisonments have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Practice, Democracy, Age

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (2015). “The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution”, p.418, Coventry House Publishing

• That instability is inherent in the nature of popular governments, I think very disputable … A representative democracy, where the right of election is well secured and regulated & the exercise of the legislature, executive, and judiciary authorities, is vested in select persons, chosen really and not nominally by the people, will in my opinion be most likely to be happy, regular and durable.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Exercise, Thinking, Government

• If we incline too much to democracy, we shall soon shoot into a monarchy.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Democracy, Too Much, Monarchy

  Alexander Hamilton (1850). “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.417

• Perhaps myself the first, at some expense of popularity, to unfold the true character of Jefferson, it is too late for me to become his apologist. Nor can I have any disposition to do it. I admit that his politics are tinctured with fanaticism, that he is too much in earnest in his democracy, that he has been a mischievous enemy to the principle measures of our past administration, that he is crafty & persevering in his objects, that he is not scrupulous about the means of success, nor very mindful of truth, and that he is a contemptible hypocrite.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Truth, Character, Hypocrite

  Alexander Hamilton (1851). “Correspondence [contin.] 1795-1804; 1777; 1791. Letters of H.G. 1789. Address to public creditors. 1790. Vindication of funding system. 1791”, p.419

• All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well born, the other the mass of the people. The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true in fact. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Government, Class, People

  Said on June 19, 1787. "The Records Of The Federal Convention Of 1787". Book edited by Max Farrand. Volume I, p. 299, 1937.

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