F. Who are the People?
1. 1721 April 8, Sat.: Cato’s Letters:
Dominion that is not maintained by the sword, must be maintained by consent;…what security can any man at the head of affairs expect, but from pursuing the people’s Welfare, and seeking their good Will? …The Government of One for the Sake of One, is Tyranny; and so is the Government of a Few for the Stake of Themselves; But Government executed for the Good of All, and with the Consent of All, is Liberty; and the Word “Government” is profaned, and its Meaning abused, when it signifies any Thing else.…It is therefore of vast importance to preserve the Affections of the People. [C174 p179-181]
2. 1760-1767: Sterne (1713-1768), Tristam Shandy
“Tristam Shandy”…consists of digression…Sterne’s humor, though occasionally indecent, is witty and full of love for his imperfect fellowmen. No one has ever successfully imitated “Tristram Shandy”. It was an important work in the development of the novel.” [wb]
3. 1761: John Adams
“The English Constitution is founded, tis bottomed And grounded on the Knowledge and good sense of the People. The very Ground of our Liberties, is the freedom of Elections. Every Man has in Politicks as well as Religion, a Right to think and speak and Act for himself. No man either King or Subject, Clergyman or layman has any Right to dictate to me the Person I shall choose for my Legislator and Ruler. I must judge for myself, but how can I judge, how can any Man judge unless his Mind has been opened and enlarged by Reading. A Man who can read, will find in his Bible, in the common sermon Books that common People have by them and even in the Almanack and News Papers, Rules and observations, that will enlarge his Range of Thought, and enable him the better to judge who has and who has not that Integrity of Heart and that Compass of Knowledge and Understanding, which form the Statesman.” [B19 v1 p220]
4. 1776 Aug. 26: Jefferson to Edmund Pendleton
“I had two things in view: to get the wisest men chosen, and to make them perfectly independent when chosen. I have every observed that a choice by the people themselves is not generally distinguished for its wisdom. This first secretion from them is usually crude and heterogeneous. but give to those so chosen by the people a second choice themselves, and they will generally chuse wise men.” [C29 p86]
5. 1783 June 8: Washington
“This is the time of their [Am. citizens] political probation; this is the moment when the eyes of the whole world are turned upon them; this is the moment to establish or ruin their national character forever; this is the favorable moment to give such a tone to our federal government, as will enable it to answer the ends of its institution.” [B215/II/82]
6. 1784/5: John Adams on the Liberal Character Of The People
“I think it may be said in praise of citizens of the United States that they are sincere inquirers after truth in matters of government and commerce; at least that there are among them as many in proportion, of this liberal character, as any other country possesses.” [C1 p141]
7. 1785 June 17: Jefferson in Paris to James Monroe
“I sincerely wish you may find it convenient to come here. –It will make you adore your own country, it’s soil, it’s climate, it’s equality, liberty, laws, people and manners. My god! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy. I confess I had no idea of it myself.…Come then and see the proofs of this, and on your return add your testimony to that of every thinking American, in order to satisfy our countrymen how much it is their interest to preserve uninfected by contagion those peculiarities in their government and manners to which they are indebted for these blessings.” [B63 p377]
8. 1786 Jefferson to Madison
“In fact, it is comfortable to see the standard of reason at length erected, after so many ages, during which the human mind has been held in vassalage by kings, priests, and nobles; and it is honorable for us, to have produced the first legislature who had the courage to declare, that the reason of man may be trusted with the formation of his own opinions.”
9. 1787 Sept. 17: Benjamin Franklin, last day of the Constitutional Convention
“In these sentiments, sir, I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults—if they are such—because I think a general government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and I believe further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.” [B27 p285-6]
10. 1787 Aug. 10: Jefferson to Peter Carr on Conscience
“The moral sense, or conscience, is as much a part of man, as his leg or arm. It is given to all human beings in a stronger or weaker degree, as force of members is given them in greater or less degree. It may be strengthened by exercise, as may any particular limb of the body.…This sense is submitted, indeed, in some degree, to the guidance of reason;…State a moral case to a plowman and a professor. The former will decide it as well, and often better than the latter, because he has not been led astray by artificial rules.…read good books, because they will encourage as well as direct your feelings.…The writings of Sterne, particularly, form the best course of morality ever written. Besides these, read the books mentioned in the enclosed paper.” [R44;C6 p26] [Jefferson’s wife (Martha or Patty) died 1782 Sep 6]
11. 1787 Jefferson to Carrington, wolves and sheep
“…the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army.…European gov’ts have divided their nations into wolves and sheep. …Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. …If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and congress and Assemblies, Judges and governors, shall all become wolves.” [B24p92]
12. 1789 Apr. 30: George Washington (1732-1799) First Inaugural address
“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered are deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted in the hands of the American people.”
13. 1789 Aug.3: Jefferson in Paris
“I have so much confidence in the good sense of man and his qualifications for self-government, that I am never afraid of the issue where reason is left free to exert her force; and I will agree to be stoned as a false prophet if it does not end well in this country (France)”[B63 p444] [Jeff was in France when he wrote this. The US Constitution had been signed & Wash elected pres. (Feb 4, 1789). 1794, June & July, was the great Reign of Terror in France.]
14. 1790 Feb12: Jefferson on the will of the majority
“It rests now with ourselves alone to shew by example that sufficiency of human reason for the care of human affairs and that the will of the majority, the Natural law of every society, is the only sure guardian of the rights of man. Perhaps even this may sometimes err. But it’s errors are honest, solitary, and short-lived.—Let us then, my dear friends, for ever bow down to the general reason of the society.”
15. 1793: Jefferson; Moral Laws
“For the reality of these principles I appeal to the true foundations of evidence, the head and heart of every rational and honest man. It is there Nature has written her moral laws, and where every man may read them for himself.” [B63/270]
16. 1798 Aug. 3: Jefferson
“I have so much confidence in the good sense of man and his qualifications for self-government, that I am never afraid of the issue where reason is left free to exert her force.…” Thomas Jefferson (Julian P. Boyd, ed., “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson” (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. Press, 1958), Vol. XV, p. 326. (To Diodati, Paris, Aug. 3, 1789)
17. 1801 Mar 29: Jefferson
However, the steady character of our countrymen is a rock to which we may safely moor; and not withstanding the efforts of the papers to disseminate early discontents, I expect that a just, dispassionate, and steady conduct, will at length rally to a proper system of the great body of our country. Unequivocal in principle, reasonable in manner, we shall be able to hope to do a great deal of good to the cause of freedom and harmony. [see Paul Ford Vol. 8, p 43) R261p43: Jefferson to Elbridge Gerry Washington, Mar 29, 1801]
18. 1804 John Adams
John Adams, “There is no possibility of defending liberty in it (a perfect democracy). The majority is a despotism in the hands of its principal leaders. [C1p57] [Read pp55-57 on difference between spirit of liberty and spirit of faction.]
19. 1810 Feb. 10: Jefferson at Monticello to Caesar A Rodney on Virtue
“…the hurricane which is now blasting the world, physical and moral, has prostrated all the mounds of reason as well as right.…the principle that force is right is become the principle of the nation [Gr Britain]…It is a blessing, however, that our people are reasonable; that they are kept so well informed of the state of things as to judge for themselves, to see the true sources of their difficulties, and to maintain their confidence undiminished in the wisdom and integrity of the functionaries. Macte virtue (hail to thee, virtue) therefore. Continue to go straight forward, pursuing always that which is right, as the only clue which can lead us out of the labyrinth. Let nothing be spared of either reason or passion, to preserve the public confidence entire, as the only rock of our safety. [Feb 10: Jeff at Monticello to Caesar A Rodney, attorney General of US; [B63 p519]:
20. Jefferson
"…it is honorable for us to have produced the first legislature who had the courage to declare that the reason of man may be trusted with the formation of his own opinion." [R118 Jefferson/v4p10. Libscomb/Jefferson/20vols [check spelling of Libscomb, Lipscomb]