Jefferson was a strict constructionist. He desired a limited government, and thought Congress should be restricted to the enumerated powers of the Constitution. In 1787, he wrote to James Madison from Paris, “I own I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.”
Hamilton, on the other hand, believed in a strong and energetic central government. He thought Congress should have more legislative powers than those expressly stated in Section 8 of the first article of the Constitution. He also favored a strong executive power.
John Marshall.
Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consist with the letter and spirit of the constitution, are constitutional.
criterion of what is constitutional, and of what is not so.... is the end, to which the measure relates as a mean. If the end be clearly comprehended within any of the specified powers, and if the measure have an obvious relation to that end, and is not forbidden by any particular provision of the Constitution, it may safely be deemed to come within the compass of the national authority. There is also this further criterion which may materially assist the decision: Does the proposed measure abridge a pre-existing right of any State, or of any individual? If it does not, there is a strong presumption in favour of its constitutionality....
Patrick Henry
THE AMERICAN MOTTO
Give me liberty or give me death.
Red Cloud
(On religious freedoms)
"The priests and ministers tell us that we lived wickedly when we lived before the white
man came among us. Whose fault was this? We lived right as we were taught it was right. Shall we be punished for this?""I am not sure that what these people tell me is true. As a child I was taught the Taku Wakan (Supernatural Powers) were powerful and could do strange things. This was taught me by the wise men and the shamans."
"They taught me that I could gain their favor by being kind to my people and brave before my enemies; by telling the truth and living straight; by fighting for my people and their hunting grounds."
"When the Lakotas believed these things they were happy and they died satisfied. What more than this can that which the white man offers us give?"
George Washington
SECURITY OF LIBERTY PARAMOUNT
for the efficient management of your common interests, in a country so extensive as ours, a Government of as much vigour as is consistent with the perfect security of Liberty is indispensable.
(On nationalism)
Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am Sioux? Because I was born where my father lived? Because I would die for my people and my country?
Only seven years ago we made a treaty by which we were assured that the buffalo country should be left to us forever. Now they threaten to take that from us also.
They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own use, and fence their neighbors away from her, and deface her with their buildings and their refuse.
John Dickinson
WHO ARE A FREE PEOPLE?
For who are a free people? Not those, over whom government is reasonably and equitably exercised, but those, who live under a government so constitutionally checked and controuled, that proper provision is made against its being otherwise exercised.
No free people ever existed, or can ever exist, without keeping "the purse strings" in their own hands. Where this is the case, they have a constitutional check upon the administration, which may thereby by brought into order without violence. But when such a power is not lodged in the people, oppression proceeds uncontrolled in its career, till the governed, transported into rage, seek redress in the midst of blood and confusion. 
Frederick Douglass
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.
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thank you Peter how have you been?
Sorry, my eyeballs couldn't read a lot of this. I understand trying to stress things, but it does no good if people can't read it. Please cut down the size of the font you use.
Len.
looks ok on mine only thing i seen that was messy was the Gather text editor.
I think it must be your browser.
It's fine on my browser, too. Check under tools, options, to see if you can increase your text size.
My apologies. I usually use AOL and I couldn't read half of the posting. I just came back on with IE and everything was fine. I'll just keep my mouth shut in the future.
no you might be right i reset the sise. but might just be the new up dates. i been having other issues.
Back to our country's roots...have we learned anything? Thought provoking post.
You have an incredible collection here, all from great men. Every one of them have impacted our lives, our country, our government, and perhaps the world.
Jefferson would have to be the one most dear to me. He was a Virginian, an eloquent and elegant man, yet down to earth and casual when the situation warranted. Inventive and innovative, he was very attentive to details in all that he did, from architecture, agriculture, machinery, wine, nature. He had a love of fine Madeira, and you might be interested to know he had a particular love for ice cream, as do many of us.
really? i like that.
i like all theses guys and i had more but ... best to go a bit at a time.
we had some 4 mothers two...LOL
You've provided a lot of great quotes there, Darren, but I think I like the first two paragraphs, about Jefferson and Hamilton, most of all. Because they remind us (well, at least they should remind us) that "our Founding Fathers" weren't all of one mind about the nature and purpose of the federal government they'd helped establish.
right you are sir and it is the point of this post. people are trying to get a third party started. well IMO that cant happen without a reprisentative body of work. the two parties shift in and out of the shadow of theses two men. all the othere voices have been drownd out. if you were to pull out a founding father and a historical body of work...who would you pick?
I like Benjamin Franklin and he would make a good go. a body of work might be fire fighters, librarys public works at al.
"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing." ~ B. Franklin
America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin because he did both. He lived these words of wisdom by writing as much as he possibly could and by doing even more. He became famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, aphilosopher, a musician, and an economist. Today, we honor Ben Franklin as one of our Founding Fathers and as one of America's greatest citizens. Although he was born in Boston, the city of Philadelphia is remembered as the home of Ben Franklin. In Philadelphia, you can find both Ben's gravesite and the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. You'll also find The Franklin Institute Science Museum.
This quick glimpse at the long life (1706 - 1790) of a complex man is meant to help you learn about Ben Franklin and also to let you see how Ben's ideas are still alive in our world today.
To learn all that you can about the Franklin family, try taking a look at the family tree. To learn even more about Ben Franklin and his world, try taking a look at some recommended resource materials, enrichment activities, and a brief glossary.
I liked this. another quote I like, but don't know who said it: loyalty to the country always, to the government when it deserves it. Another interesting thing about George Washington, was that he was a marijuana smoker.
hemp was in High demand even way back then.
Hemp? I heard he used to grow and smoke marijuana.... maybe I'm mistaken though.... it's been quite a while since I heard it
Hemp = marijuana
Hemp (from Old English hænep, see cannabis (etymology)) is the common name for plants of the entire genus Cannabis, although the term is often used to refer only to Cannabis strains cultivated for industrial (non-drug) use.
thanks for the info... I think the deficit be wiped out damn quick if both hemp and smoking marijuana could be grown today
Unless Washington did it, too, it was Jefferson who grew marijuana. A great horticulturist!
no wounder they all got alonge so well. do you think it might help this congress?
I can only hope. Hey! Let's make brownies! :)
I have heard from more than one source that in George Washington's diary, he has a passage about how he forgot to separate the males from the females in his hemp crop. I don't think that particular crop was being used to make rope.
haha, I never heard about the diary; old Geroge toked weed!
cost benefits are an economic +
Hell yea they are... and didn't mean to get off the subject on your thread here- not trying to hijack it or anything
not at all.. what would you think of a party based on Benjamin Franklin and public works?
I'd have to look farther into it, but would certainly be open.... I'd love to see a real revolution in this country.... think the people who founded it would be apalled at a lot going on
agreed.
Thanks for the link, gonna go check it out.
I'm not sure what I should say-- all of these men obviously had something to say.....
some may disagree but i think the country is still divided into two loosely defined camps (Jeffersonian and Hamilton.) its not a straight devision its more like a kaleidescope. we need a {representative body of historical work} or the new party forming will just be absorbed into one of the older sides.
New groups, being absorbed by old groups, isn't always a bad thing, and often works quite well. Consider the ABA, absorbed by the NBA, or the AFL absorbed by the NFL.
The creation of the new group, transformed the old, when the new group was absorbed.
Once the new group establishes itself as a viable entity, it must be taken seriously by the old group, even if the new group is absorbed by the old.
New ideas are new ideas, and even the old can be changed.
A third party would have to be viable first, however.
I noticed that you included Red Cloud and Sitting Bull. They truly belong in any group of those recognized as your "Founding Fathers". They did as much and sometimes more than the others usually listed.
Now I'll have to Google Frederick Douglass and Emiliano Zapata Salazar.
hi Dennis yes they did and thoe i have Frederick Douglass here there are many whose names are not listed here.