"It astonishes me to find... [that so many] of our countrymen... should be contented to live under a system which leaves to their governors the power of taking from them the trial by jury in civil cases, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce, the habeas corpus laws, and of yoking them with a standing army. This is a degeneracy in the principles of liberty... which I [would not have expected for at least] four centuries."

When earth is rich it bids defiance to droughts, yields in abundance and of the best quality.

To consider judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions is a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.

Laws abridging the natural right of the citizen should be restrained by rigorous constructions within their narrowest limits.

All power is inherent in the people.

Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous. . . .

Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free.