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James Madison Quotes
These James Madison Quotes are taken from his own letters, writings and
speeches during the years 1788 and 1789, just before and after the new US Constitution
was adopted. Many of these James Madison Quotes are taken from his
writings in the Federalist Papers, a joint work by Madison, John Jay and Alexander
Hamilton written to encourage the American people to adopt the new Constitution.
Others are taken from personal letters to people such as Thomas Jefferson and his
speech to the Virginia Constitutional Ratifying Convention. Madison was one of the
most influential Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War and is known as the
Father of the US Constitution. These James Madison Quotes are
listed chronologically with links to more both before and after this time period at
the bottom.
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James Madison |
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James Madison Quotes
"It is a sound and important principle that the
representative ought to be acquainted with the interests and circumstances
of his constituents. But this principle can extend no further than to
those circumstances and interests to which the authority and care of
the representative relate." - Federalist Papers, No. 56, February
19, 1788
"The house of representatives... can make no law which will not have
its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as the
great mass of society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest
bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people
together. It creates between them that communion of interest, and
sympathy of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished
examples; but without which every government degenerates into
tyranny." - Federalist Papers, No. 57, February 19, 1788
"The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first
to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and
most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the
next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping
them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust."
- Federalist Papers, No. 57, February 19, 1788
"Such will be the relation between the House of Representatives
and their constituents. Duty gratitude, interest, ambition itself,
are the cords by which they will be bound to fidelity and sympathy
with the great mass of the people." - Federalist Papers, No. 57,
February 19, 1788
"If it be asked what is to restrain the House of Representatives
from making legal discriminations in favor of themselves and a
particular class of the society? I answer, the genius of the
whole system, the nature of just and constitutional laws, and
above all the vigilant and manly spirit which actuates the people
of America, a spirit which nourishes freedom, and in return is
nourished by it." - Federalist Papers, No. 57, February 19,
1788
"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for;
but one in which the powers of government should be so divided
and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no
one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually
checked and restrained by the others." - Federalist Papers,
No. 58, 1788
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James Madison Quotes
Montpelier - Home of
James Madison
"This power over the purse may, in fact, be regarded as the
most complete and effectual weapon with which any constitution
can arm the immediate representatives of the people, for obtaining
a redress of every grievance, and for carrying into effect every
just and salutary measure." - Federalist Papers, No. 58, 1788
"The propensity of all single and numerous assemblies (is) to yield
to the impulse of sudden and violent passions, and to be seduced by
factious leaders into intemperate and pernicious resolutions."
- Federalist Papers, No. 62, February 27, 1788
"Every new regulation concerning commerce or revenue; or in any
manner affecting the value of the different species of property,
presents a new harvest to those who watch the change and can trace
its consequences; a harvest reared not by themselves but by the
toils and cares of the great body of their fellow citizens. This
is a state of things in which it may be said with some truth that
laws are made for the few not for the many." - Federalist
Papers, No. 62, February 27, 1788
"It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made
by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that
they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be
understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are
promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man who
knows what the law is today can guess what is will be tomorrow."
- Federalist Papers, No. 62, February 27, 1788
"The facility and excess of law-making seem to be the diseases
to which our governments are most liable..." - Federalist
Papers, No. 62, February 27, 1788
Need some more James Madison
Quotes? Read
on!
"A continual change even of good measures is inconsistent with
every rule of prudence and every prospect of success." - Federalist
Papers, No. 62, February 27, 1788
"As the cool and deliberate sense of the community ought, in all
governments, and actually will, in all free governments, ultimately
prevail over the views of its rulers; so there are particular moments
in public affairs when the people, stimulated by some irregular
passion, or some illicit advantage, or misled by the artful
misrepresentations of interested men, may call for measures
which they themselves will afterwards be the most ready to
lament and condemn. In these critical moments, how salutary
will be the interference of some temperate and respectable body
of citizens, in order to check the misguided career, and to
suspend the blow meditated by the people against themselves,
until reason, justice, and truth can regain their authority
over the public mind?" - Federalist Papers, No. 63, 1788
"The powers of the federal government are enumerated; it can
only operate in certain cases; it has legislative powers on
defined and limited objects, beyond which it cannot extend
its jurisdiction." - Virginia Ratifying Convention, June
6, 1788
"There is not a shadow of right in the general government to
intermeddle with religion. Its least interference with it,
would be a most flagrant usurpation. I can appeal to my
uniform conduct on this subject, that I have warmly supported
religious freedom." - Journal, June 12, 1788
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the
freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of
those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
- Speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 16, 1788
"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of
the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in
power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - Speech
to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 16, 1788
Read on for more great
James Madison
Quotes
"Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a
wretched situation. No theoretical checks-no form of government
can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government
will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the
people, is a chimerical idea, if there be sufficient virtue
and intelligence in the community, it will be exercised in
the selection of these men. So that we do not depend on their
virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who
are to choose them." - Speech to the Virginia Ratifying
Convention, June 20, 1788
"Refusing 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." - Letter
to John Brown, October, 1788
"Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the
danger of oppression. In our Governments, the real power lies
in the majority of the Community, and the invasion of private
rights is chiefly to be apprehended, not from the acts of
Government contrary to the sense of its constituents, but
from acts in which the Government is the mere instrument
of the major number of the constituents." - Letter to
Thomas Jefferson, October 17, 1788
"I own myself the friend to a very free system of commerce, and hold
it as a truth, that commercial shackles are generally unjust,
oppressive and impolitic - it is also a truth, that if industry and
labour are left to take their own course, they will generally be
directed to those objects which are the most productive, and this
in a more certain and direct manner than the wisdom of the most
enlightened legislature could point out." - Speech in the
Congress of the United States, April 9, 1789
"If individuals be not influenced by moral principles; it is in
vain to look for public virtue; it is, therefore, the duty of
legislators to enforce, both by precept and example, the utility,
as well as the necessity of a strict adherence to the rules of
distributive justice." - Response to George Washington's First
Inaugural Address, May 18, 1789
 If you liked our James Madison Quotes,
you can learn more about James Madison at our
James Madison Facts page.
You can visit Montpelier, James Madison's home today. It has lots of memorabilia
and things to do. Visit the
Montpelier website here.
We have lots more James Madison Quotes for you!
Did you enjoy these James Madison Quotes? Check out these
inspirational quotations from some other Founding Fathers
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