The true natural check on absolute democracy is the federal system, which limits the central government by the powers reserved, and the state governments by the powers they have ceded.

At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities.

I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power...power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

In every age its (liberty's) progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food

The form of government and the condition of society must always correspond. Social equality is therefore a postulate of pure democracy.

Socialism easily accepts despotism. It requires the strongest execution of power -- power sufficient to interfere with property.

No public character has ever stood the revelation of private utterance and correspondence.