The story goes that Benjamin Franklin was approached by a woman as he left the Constitutional Convention 1 Recorded by Constitution signer James McHenry in his diary which was reprinted in 1906. Reference.. She asked: “What have you given us?” Franklin is said to have replied: “A republic, if you can keep it.” This exchange […]
Can America Survive Traitors Within?
Contributed by a Grassroots in Nebraska member… “A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly against the city. But the traitor moves among those within the gates freely, […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Power
POWER When Excess of Power Prevails Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected; no man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions. ~ James Madison, essay in the National Gazette, March 27, 1792 Essence of Government is Power The essence of Government is power; […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Welfare
WELFARE Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Executive Branch
EXECUTIVE BRANCH Quotes coming soon!
GiN Quotes Collection: Judicial Branch
JUDICIAL BRANCH Not Paramount to Legislative Body (R)efusing or not refusing to execute a law to stamp it with its final character…makes the Judiciary department paramount in fact to the Legislature, which was never intended and can never be proper. ~ James Madison, letter to John Brown, October 1788 Undermines Country’s Fabric The judiciary of […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Patriotism
PATRIOTISM Stand by the Country Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does NOT mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Corruption
CORRUPTION Only A Virtuous People Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt, they have more need of masters. ~ Benjamin Franklin Corruption Will Not Secure Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. ~ Samuel Adams […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Republic vs Democracy
REPUBLIC VS DEMOCRACY Breads and Circuses The America of my time line is a laboratory example of what can happen to democracies, what has eventually happened to all perfect democracies throughout all histories. A perfect democracy, a ‘warm body’ democracy in which every adult may vote and all votes count equally, has no internal feedback […]
GiN Quotes Collection: Government
GOVERNMENT Previously featured on our front page: Nothing is easier than spending the public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody. ~ Calvin Coolidge, Fourth Annual Message, December 7, 1926. Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: […]
