Posted on 06/22/2004 5:10:16 AM PDT by pageonetoo
"Wise politicians will be cautious about fettering the government with restrictions that cannot be observed, because they know that every break of the fundamental laws, though dictated by necessity, impairs that sacred reverence which ought to be maintained in the breast of rulers towards the constitution of a country."-
Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 25
I read this morning about psychiatric referrals by the gum't, have concerns about the suspension of basic liberties in the Patriot Acts, and all of the rest of the "needed' restraints on our lives.... and wonder (worry) what will happen to America!
I am not sure how your concerns relate to Mr. Hamilton's quotation. It seems to me Hamilton is saying that if you put legal restraints on the government that "cannot be observed", then you doubly fail, because not only do you not restrain the government (they break the rule) but you also weaken the respect and reverence for the Constitution. In other words, he seems to be saying that you shouldn't OVER-restrain the gubmint.
I posted the quote, as a means of linking the founders thoughts, with our present predicament.... due to the fact that there "is no controlling authority"...
I understood perfectly what he said, but see a fedrool gum't way out of control, imo... even when in the hands of so-called conservatives. these are the ones proposing the biggest budget in history, with a wealth of social ananny-state programs, and expense (relates to tax revenues), as wealth as a suspension of the Bill of Rights (maybe I don't understand all of the nuances, but I do know about habeus corpus. But of course, they do it, for the chil'run!
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