On Government

• Outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."


• "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." - George Washington


• "The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse." - James Madison


• "When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master!" - Thomas Jefferson


• "The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money." - Alexis de Tocqueville

A small collection of quotes pulled from this slashdot post.