The desire of reward is one of the strongest incentives of human conduct; ... the best security for the fidelity of mankind is to make their interest coincide with their duty.

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

The deliberative sense of the community should govern.

Wherever indeed a right of property is infringed for the general good, if the nature of the case admits of compensation, it ought to be made; but if compensation be impracticable, that impracticability ought to be an obstacle to a clearly essential reform.

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.

Every nation ought to have a right to provide for its own happiness.

Those who have a tolerable knowledge of human nature will not stand in need of such lights.