BTVOL The Truth Is Out There

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Veritas (Latin For Truth)
Date: May 2, 2007 9:32 AM

Quotes - Hamilton,
Madison & Gerry
Declaration Of
Independence Signers
From Scott@planttrees.org
5-2-7 ..>..> ..> ..>

"... but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights..."


-- Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) Source: Federalist, No. 29 http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Alexander.Hamilton.Quote.B32F


"The highest number to which a standing army can be carried in any country does not exceed one hundredth part of the souls, or one twenty-fifth part of the number able to bear arms. This portion would not yield, in the United States, an army of more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men. To these would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence. It may well be doubted whether a militia thus circumstanced could ever be conquered by such a proportion of regular troops. Besides the advantage of being armed, it forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. The governments of Europe are afraid to trust the people with arms. If they did, the people would surely shake off the yoke of tyranny, as America did. Let us not insult the free and gallant citizens of America with the suspicion that they would be less able to defend the rights of which they would be in actual possession than the debased subjects of arbitrary power would be to rescue theirs from the hands of their oppressors."


-- James Madison (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/James.Madison.Quote.C88A


"What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. ... Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins."


-- Rep. Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) of Massachusetts, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Member of the Constitutional Convention Source: spoken during floor debate over the Second Amendment, I Annals of Congress at 750, August 17, 1789 http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Elbridge.Gerry.Quote.71B0