The Constitution expressly and exclusively vests in the Legislature the power of declaring a state of war [and] the power of raising armies.... A delegation of such powers [to the President] would have struck, not only at the fabric of our Constitution, but at the foundation of all well organized and well checked governments. The separation of the power of declaring war from that of conducting it, is wisely contrived to exclude the danger of its being declared for the sake of its being conducted.

Ecclesiastical establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption

I flatter myself [we] have in this country extinguished forever the ambitious hope of making laws for the human mind.

As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed.

Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death.

Despotism can only exist in darkness, and there are too many lights now in the political firmament to permit it to remain anywhere, as it has heretofore done, almost everywhere.

The purpose of the Constitution is to restrict the majority's ability to harm a minority.