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.

[H]owever weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties.

Constitutions of civil government are not to be framed upon a calculation of existing exigencies, but upon a combination of these with the probable exigencies of ages, according to the natural and tried course of human affairs. Nothing, therefore, can be more fallacious than to infer the extent of any power, proper to be lodged in the national government, from an estimate of its immediate necessities.

No man in his senses can hesitate in choosing to be free, rather than a slave.

A republic of this kind, able to withstand an external force, may support itself without any internal corruptions. The form of this society prevents all manner of inconveniences.

The superiority...enjoyed by nations that have...perfected a branch of industry, constitutes a...formidable obstacle.

The natural effect of low interest is to increase trade and industry; because undertakings of every kind can be prosecuted with greater advantage.