James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr.was a political theorist, American statesman, and the fourth President of the United States. He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionUS President
Date of Birth16 March 1751
CityPort Conway, VA
CountryUnited States of America
James Madison quotes about
presidential debt curse
A public debt is a public curse.
practice people serious
The American people are too well schooled in the duty and practice of submitting to the will of the majority to permit any serious uneasiness on that account
unjust shackles commerce
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.
united-states constitution freedom-of-religion
No power over the freedom of religion [is] delegated to the United States by the Constitution.
diversity miracle tasks
The great objects which presented themselves [to the Constitutional Convention] ... formed a task more difficult than can be well conceived by those who were not concerned in the execution of it. Adding to these considerations the natural diversity of human opinions on all new and complicated subjects, it is impossible to consider the degree of concord which ultimately prevailed as less than a miracle.
independent rights justice
If they are incorporated into the Constitution, independent tribunals of justice will consider themselves in a peculiar manner the guardians of those rights; they will be an impenetrable bulwark against every assumption of power in the legislative or executive; they will be naturally led to resist every encroachment upon rights expressly stipulated for in the Constitution by the declaration of rights.
errors government federalism
That useful alterations will be suggested by experience, could not but be foreseen . . . . It moreover equally enables the general and state governments to originate the amendment of errors as they may be pointed out by the experience on one side or on the other.
numbers choices ambitious
Reason, on the contrary, assures us, that as in so great a number, a fit representative would be most likely to be found, so the choice would be less likely to be diverted from him, by the intrigues of the ambitious, or the bribes of the rich.
regulation commerce apprehension
The regulation of commerce, it is true, is a new power; but that seems to be an addition which few oppose and from which no apprehensions are entertained.
numbers relief states
The defect of power in the existing confederacy, to regulate the commerce between its several members is in the number of those which have been clearly pointed out by experience . . . . A very material object of this power was the relief of the States which import and export through other States from the improper contributions levied on them by the latter.
republican-government tyranny-of-the-majority injustice
It is of great importance in a republic, not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers; but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.
separation constitution founding-fathers-religion
The Constitution of the U.S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion.
unions essentials danger
Security against foreign danger is one of the primitive objects of civil society. It is an avowed and essential object of the American Union.
drawing vortex spheres
The legislative department is everywhere extending the sphere of its activity and drawing all power into its impetuous vortex.