Looks like all the founding fathers were right about a federal military becoming the bane of liberty: A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty ... A standing army is one of the greatest mischief that can possibly happen ... Keep within the requisite limits a standing military force, always remembering that an armed and trained militia is the firmest bulwark of republics - that without standing armies their liberty can never be in danger, nor with large ones safe. ~ James Madison None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army ... [Only] a private central bank issuing the public currency is a greater menace to the liberties of the people than a standing army. ~ Thomas Jefferson ... 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 speaking of standing armies in Federalist 29 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 of Massachusetts, spoken during floor debate over the Second Amendment, I Annals of Congress at 750, August 17, 1789 Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any body of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States. ~ Noah Webster To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than TWO YEARS. ~ The United States Constitution, Article I, Section 8 But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case it is unfit to exist. ~ Lysander Spooner, No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority, 1867 Should the occasion ever arise, remind me to not make a government and give it a piece of paper with instructions on how to restrain itself. ~ Jeffrey Tucker
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 05:07:22 +0000
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