To presume a want of motives for such contests . . . would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious.

Effective resistance to usurpers is possible only provided the citizens understand their rights and are disposed to defend them.

Would there not be the greatest reason to apprehend, that error in the first sentence would be the parent of error in the second sentence? That the strong bias of one decision would be apt to overrule the influence of any new lights, which might be brought to vary the complexion of another decision? Those, who know any thing of human nature, will not hesitate to answer these questions in the affirmative.

To presume a want of motives for such contests . . . would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious.

The deliberative sense of the community should govern.

People sometimes attribute my success to my genius; all the genius I know anything about is hard work.

It is by far the safer course to lay [considerations of the future] altogether aside; and to confine our attention wholly to the nature and extent of the powers as they are delineated in the constitution. Everything beyond this, must be left to the prudence and firmness of the people; who, as they will hold the scales in their own hands, it is to be hoped, will always take care to preserve the constitutional equilibrium between the General and State governments.