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Currently viewing the tag: "natural rights"

Samuel Adams Quote – The Right To Freedom Is A Gift From God

By Tina Didreckson On March 23, 2013 · Leave a Comment · In Samuel Adams

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Thomas Jefferson Quote, A Republic and The Rights of Mankind

By Tina Didreckson On March 23, 2013 · Leave a Comment · In Thomas Jefferson

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Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII: Manners

By Steve Straub On October 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Founding Documents, Thomas Jefferson

It is difficult to determine on the standard by which the manners of a nation may be tried, whether catholic, or particular. It is more difficult for a native to bring to that standard the manners of his own nation, familiarized to him by habit.

There must doubtless be an unhappy influence on the [...]

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The Rights of the Colonists by Samuel Adams

By Steve Straub On August 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Samuel Adams

The Committee appointed by the Town the second Instant “to State the Rights of the Colonists and of this Province in particular, as Men, as Christians, and as Subjects; to communicate and publish the same to the several Towns in this Province and to the World as the sense of this Town with the [...]

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The Right of Revolution by Samuel Adams

By Steve Straub On August 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Samuel Adams

In the days of the Stuarts, it was look’d upon by some men as a high degree of prophaness, for any subject to enquire into what was called the mysteries of government: James the first thundered his anathema against Dr. Cowel, for his daring presumption in treating of–those mysteries; and forbad his subjects to [...]

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Anti-Federalist Number 8, The quiet and peaceable surrender of rights

By Steve Straub On July 26, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Anti-Federalist Papers

“Thus will you be necessarily compelled either to make a bold effort to extricate yourselves from these grievous and oppressive extortions, or you will be fatigued by fruitless attempts into the quiet and peaceable surrender of those rights, for which the blood of your fellow citizens has been shed in vain.”

– A Federal Republican, [...]

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Anti-Federalist Three, If the body of the people will not govern themselves well the consequence is unavoidable

By Steve Straub On July 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Anti-Federalist Papers, John Francis Mercer

“If the body of the people will not govern themselves, and govern themselves well too, the consequence is unavoidable—a FEW will, and must govern them.

Then it is that government becomes truly a government by force only, where men relinquish part of their natural rights to secure the rest, instead of an union of will [...]

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Federalist Number Two, Nothing is more certain than the indispensable necessity of government

By Steve Straub On July 24, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Federalist Papers, John Jay

“Nothing is more certain than the indispensable necessity of government; and it is equally undeniable that whenever and however it is instituted, the people must cede to it some of their natural rights, in order to vest it with requisite powers. It is well worthy of consideration therefore, whether it would conduce more to the [...]

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George Mason, All men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights,

By Steve Straub On July 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In George Mason

That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot by any compact deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness [...]

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James Madison, Religion must be left to the conscience of every man and this right is an unalienable right

By Steve Straub On July 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In James Madison

“We hold it for a fundamental and undeniable truth, “that Religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the Manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence.”

The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every [...]

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James Wilson, A glimpse of British history that strongly impacted our Founding Fathers

By Steve Straub On July 12, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In James Wilson

This is a very long passage from James Wilson’s essay but it provides a glimpse of British history that strongly impacted our Founding Fathers, the movement to Independence, and the writing of the Constitution of the United States:

Long parliaments have always been prejudicial to the prince, who summoned them, or to the people, [...]

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Alexander Hamilton, Natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator

By Steve Straub On July 12, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Alexander Hamilton

The fundamental source of all your errors, sophisms, and false reasonings, is a total ignorance of the natural rights of mankind. Were you once to become acquainted with these, you could never entertain a thought, that all men are not, by nature, entitled to a parity of privileges.

You would be convinced, that natural liberty [...]

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James Otis, All men have a natural right to be free

By Steve Straub On July 10, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In James Otis

There can be no prescription old enough to supersede the Law of Nature and the grant of God Almighty, who has given to all men a natural right to be free, and they have it ordinarily in their power to make themselves so, if they please.

James Otis, Jr., “The Rights of British Colonies” (1764)

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Anti-Federalist Number 3, Government Should Protect All Natural Rights

By Steve Straub On July 10, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Anti-Federalist Papers, Founders

“If the body of the people will not govern themselves, and govern themselves well too, the consequence is unavoidable—a FEW will, and must govern them. Then it is that government becomes truly a government by force only, where men relinquish part of their natural rights to secure the rest, instead of an union of will [...]

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Adams Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759

By Steve Straub On July 30, 2011 · 36 Comments · In Adam Smith

Every man is, no doubt, by nature, first and principally recommended to his own care; and as he is fitter to take care of himself than of any other person, it is fit and right that it should be so.

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