February 15

Because we are free we can never be indifferent to the fate of freedom elsewhere…it is clear that a world which others can dominate with impunity would be…a threat to the well being of all people.

Jimmy Carter, 39^th President, 1977-1981

February 14

The Constitution is the bedrock of all our freedoms; guard it and cherish it; keep honor and order in your own house and the republic will endure.

Gerald R. Ford, 38^th President, 1974-1977

February 13

If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories.

Richard M. Nixon, 37^th President, 1969-1974

February 12, 1809- Birthdate of Abraham Lincoln

If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his true friend.

16^th President, 1861-1865, Died by assassination April 15, 1865

- from his speech, given February 22, 1842 to the Springfield chapter of the Washington Temperance Society at the Second Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Illinois. Taken in and of itself, Lincoln's quote seems like a nice, folksy bit of wisdom. In this context of his speech, however, he stirs up some controversy. In 1842, at the age of thirty-three, Lincoln had gained some popularity in Springfield. He was a member of the Illinois State Legislature and a sometimes travelling lawyer on the Illinois Eighth Judicial Circuit. On this day, he speaks to the Washington Temperance Society on the 110th anniversary of Washington's birthday. The Washington Temperance Society was a 19th-century fellowship founded on April 2, 1840 by six alcoholics at Chase's Tavern on Liberty Street in Baltimore, Maryland. The idea was that by relying on each other, sharing their alcoholic experiences and creating an atmosphere of conviviality, they could keep each other sober. Total abstinence from alcohol was their goal. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washingtonian_movement). Such an approach was similar to that of today's Alcoholics Anonymous movement. Their philosophy stood out in contrast to those who supported the temperance movement of the time which sought to ban the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. They believed that those who drank to excess (drunkards) were somehow morally weak and needed to be saved from the temptations of alcohol. Lincoln gives more credit for successful redemption of drunkards to the Washingtonians than to preachers or others in society who would condemn those who became drunkards. In his remarks, Lincoln states, "In my judgment, it is to the battles of this new class of champions that our late success is greatly, perhaps chiefly, owing. But, had the old school champions themselves, been of the most wise selecting, was their system of tactics, the most judicious? It seems to me, it was not"..."When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that a "drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall." So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great highroad to his reason."...Such is man, and so must he be understood by those who would lead him, even to his own best interest." (http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/temperance.htm) Furthermore, Lincoln does not advocate condemnation of those who produce alcoholic beverages. With his remarks, Lincoln would not have seem to have endeared himself to those "upright" citizens who supported Prohibition. Coincidentally, Lincoln, himself, did not drink but was fond of repeating another saying that "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues." George Washington, ironically, upon his retirement from public office ran and operated the nation's largest distillery at his Mt. Vernon estate. As in many parts of life, he followed the philosophy of in moderation.

February 11

The Negro says, “Now.” Others say, “Never.” The voice of responsible Americans… says, “Together.” There is no other way.

Lyndon B. Johnson, 36^th President, 1963-1969

- Remarks of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Memorial Day, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1963 Johnson, as Vice-President, is largely silent in the Kennedy Administration. Amid the racial and civil strife of 1963, he takes the opportunity to make these positive comments. "...As we maintain the vigil of peace, we must remember that justice is a vigil, too--a vigil we must keep in our own streets and schools and among the lives of all our people--so that those who died here on their native soil shall not have died in vain. One hundred years ago, the slave was freed. One hundred years later, the Negro remains in bondage to the color of his skin. The Negro today asks justice. We do not answer him--we do not answer those who lie beneath this soil--when we reply to the Negro by asking, "Patience." It is empty to plead that the solution to the dilemmas of the present rests on the hands of the clock. The solution is in our hands...If it is empty to ask Negro or white for patience, it is not empty--it is merely honest--to ask perseverance. Men may build barricades--and others may hurl themselves against those barricades--but what would happen at the barricades would yield no answers. The answers will only be wrought by our perseverance together. It is deceit to promise more as it would be cowardice to demand less. In this hour, it is not our respective races which are at stake--it is our nation. Let those who care for their country come forward, North and South, white and Negro, to lead the way through this moment of challenge and decision. The Negro says, "Now." Others say, "Never." The voice of responsible Americans--the voice of those who died here and the great man who spoke here--their voices say, "Together." There is no other way.

February 10

The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along the lines of excellence.

John F. Kennedy, 35^th President, 1961-1963

-from Remarks to a Group of Foreign Students at the Third Annual Reception for foreign graduates on May 8, 1963, from the South Lawn of The White House at 4:30 in the afternoon. On this Wednesday afternoon, President Kennedy had also spoken at a news conference which, in part, dealt with American students and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. On the previous Friday, May 5, a non-violent student march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, had been broken up by police with fire hoses and police dogs. Images had been broadcast around the world, depicting the turbulence of the times and one of the shortcomings of American society. Additionally, in April, Martin Luther King had been jailed in Birmingham for eleven days and from there wrote his now famous, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Towards the end of that busy Wednesday, Kennedy addresses the students with what may have been off the cuff remarks,(Kennedy's papers from May 10, 1962 seemed more prepared). Kennedy greets his audience, "I want to express a very warm welcome to all of you on behalf of Mrs. Kennedy and myself. We are very much honored that you have come to the United States to study." He goes on to state that the current leaders of many nations are younger and that these students would have the opportunity to contribute to their nations' service. At this point he gives his oft repeated quote, "The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence."..."I can think of no area...where you can put your powers to more excellent use and produce more personal and general happiness than in the field of national service in government, either as politicians or as technicians, to help advance the welfare of your people." In perhaps a veiled reference to the recent events and civil conflicts, he concludes, "It (American society) is wide open, unfinished, with innumerable problems of our own. The image of America which is seen from abroad is in many ways inaccurate. Our problems in some ways are more serious, our riches are less, our hopes are greater than may be imagined from far away. You have been close to us. We hope that you are generous in your judgment, even charitable, and we hope that you will be welcomed back some years from now as either the president, the prime minister or, even more significant, the wife of a president or prime minister." Kennedy introduced Civil Rights legislation in June of 1963 but had only six months to live and would not see Lyndon B. Johnson lead the way for its passage in July of 1964.

February 9, 1773-Birthdate of William Henry Harrison

The American backwoodsman…clad in his hunting shirt, the product of his domestic industry and fighting for the country he loves, he is more than a match for the vile but splendid mercenary of a European despot.

9^th President, 1841, Died in office April 4, 1841

Harrison was the oldest president to be elected to the presidency until Ronald Reagan became President in 1981. He was also the first president to die while in office, dying only thirty two days after his inauguration, giving him the shortest tenure as a President in history.
Prior to his election to President of the United States, William Henry Harrison was the first territorial congressional delegate from the Northwest Territory.  He was also the governor of the Indiana Territory and was a U.S. Representative and a senator from the state of Ohio.  His claim to fame was gained by leading United States forces against the American Indians in 1811 at the Battle of Tippecanoe, thus earning the nickname, "Tippecanoe" or "Old Tippecanoe."  In addition, he was a general in the War of 1812, where he fought and won the Battle of the Thames in 1813, which brought about an end to fighting in the Northwest territory.
His father was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was elected President in 1889. 

February 8

A people that values its privileges above its principals soon loses both.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34^th President, 1953-1961

Taken from Eisenhower's 1st inaugural address, January 20, 1953

We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
We must be willing, individually and as a Nation, to accept whatever sacrifices may be required of us. A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
.. Patriotism means equipped forces and a prepared citizenry. Moral stamina means more energy and more productivity, on the farm and in the factory. Love of liberty means the guarding of every resource that makes freedom possible—from the sanctity of our families and the wealth of our soil to the genius of our scientists.
And so each citizen plays an indispensable role.

February 7

America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and on unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.

Harry S. Truman, 33^rd President, 1945-1953

February 6, 1911-Birthdate of Ronald Wilson Reagan

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness.

40^th President, 1981-1989, Died June 5, 2004

A Time for Choosing Speech, October 27,1964Reagan gained prominence on the national political scene with this speech in support of Republican Presidential candidate,Barry Goldwater, who ran against Lyndon Johnson. At the time, Reagan had been president of the Screen Actors Guild. He was elected governor of California in 1966 and President in 1980. Reagan was a strong proponent of conservatism and smaller government.-"...government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves... I think it’s time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers. Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, “We don’t know how lucky we are.” And the Cuban stopped and said, “How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to.” And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth...governments don’t control things. A government can’t control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy...Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy “accommodation.” And they say if we’ll only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he’ll forget his evil ways and learn to love us...Alexander Hamilton said, “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”...Where, then, is the road to peace? Well it’s a simple answer after all...duty...You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

February 5

February 5-Anniversary of the Constitution

There is no maxim, in my opinion, which is more liable to be misapplied…than the current, that the interest of the majority is the political standard of right and wrong.

James Madison, 4^th President, 1809-1817

-From letter to James Monroe October 5, 1786. Madison, from Virginia, was very well educated and an extremely hard working scholar. In his younger days he studied mathematics, geography, and modern and ancient languages, becoming proficient in Latin. Attending college at Princeton in New Jersey, he continued his studies in Greek, science, rhetoric, and philosophy. After graduation in 1771, he continued his studies, becoming proficient in Hebrew and political philosophy and law with an interest in public policy. During the Revolutionary War, he served in the Virginia State Legislature from 1776-1779 and there became acquainted with Thomas Jefferson. He also served a term in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1784-1786 where he became more acquainted with Monroe after the war ended in 1883. Madison favored a stronger Federal government than provided for by The Articles of Confederation, which Madison believed gave too much autonomy to the states, thus weakening the union and the efficiency of the new nation as a whole. A balance was needed between centralized governmental organization and individual states rights. Clarification was needed regarding government where the majority ruled as opposed to securing individual inalienable rights, no matter the "will" of the majority. In one such case, apparently in 1786, there was a growing controversy as to who would control navigation rights on the Mississippi River: Would it be controlled by Spain, France, the United States government, or individual states for their own benefit? He writes to Monroe: "...Should the measure triumph under the patronage of 9 states or even of the whole 13, I shall never be convinced that it is expedient because I cannot conceive it to be just. There is no maxim in my opinion which is more liable to be misapplied, and which therefore more needs elucidation than the current one that the interest of the majority is the political standard of right and wrong."...In (that) sense, it would be the interest of the majority in every community to despoil and enslave the the minority of individuals; and in the federal community to make a similar sacrifice of the minority of the component states." "To him, concepts of right and justice were paramount to expression of majority rule. Foolish or unjust measures sanctioned by the majority were no more legitimate than such measures decreed by despots. An entire region or state in a large federation could be as much oppressed as individuals or groups in a small republic." James Madison: A Biography By Ralph Louis Ketcham, The University Press of Virginia, The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, 1990, First published in 1971 by Ralph Ketcham

February 4

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32^nd President, 1933-1945

-From his Address to the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, Washington, D. C., April 14, 1939, also known as "Hands Off the Western Hemisphere" speech.This is a great great quote taken in any context. It could apply personally to Roosevelt who fell victim to polio in 1921 at the age of 39. He became paralyzed form the waist down and was unable to walk except after great effort and with braces. Nonetheless, he continued his political career and created and maintained a normal image of himself, always pictured standing up and rarely allowing himself to be pictured in his wheelchair. He even drove a modified car, which could be driven solely with hand controls. "In context", however, here Roosevelt speaks to the members of the Pan American Union, which evolved into the Organization of American States (OAS). April 14 is the anniversary of the day when the organization was formed in 1890 had been designated as Pan American Day. Two main purposes of the organization are: 1)To strengthen the peace and security of the continent;and 2)To promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention. http://www.oas.org/en/about/purpose.asp On that day, Roosevelt addressed the board in light of approaching and escalating conflicts in Europe as Hitler and Germany would invade Poland in September, 1939 and begin "The Battle of Britain" in 1940. Roosevelt states, "... For upwards of half a century the Republics of the Western World have been working together to promote their common civilization under a system of peace. That venture, launched so hopefully fifty years ago, has succeeded. The American family is today a great cooperative group facing a troubled world in serenity and calm...'The madness of a great war in another part of the world would affect us and threaten our good in a hundred ways. And the economic collapse of any Nation or nations must of necessity harm our own prosperity. Can we, the Republics of the New World, help the Old World to avert the catastrophe which impends? Yes, I am confident that we can. I still have that confidence. There is no fatality which forces the Old World towards new catastrophe. Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.' They have within themselves the power to become free at any moment...The issue is really whether our civilization is to be dragged into the tragic vortex of unending militarism punctuated by periodic wars, or whether we shall be able to maintain the ideal of peace, individuality and civilization as the fabric of our lives...Our will to peace can be as powerful as our will to mutual defense; it can command greater loyalty, greater devotion, greater discipline than that enlisted elsewhere for temporary conquest or equally futile glory. It will have its voice in determining the order of world affairs in the days to come. This, gentlemen, is the living message which the New World can and does send to the Old. It can be light opening on dark waters. It shows the path of peace. http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/polsciwb/brianl/docs/1939Roosevelthandsoff.pdf. Unfortunately, the United States was "dragged into the vortex" as World War II ensued with many world conflicts still unresolved.

February 3

Economic depression cannot be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement. Economic wounds must be healed by action of the cells of the economic body-the producers and consumers themselves.

Herbert Hoover, 31^st President, 1929-1933

From his Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union. December 2, 1930Hoover, who attended Stanford University, was by profession was international mining engineer. He gained national and international praise and recognition with his leadership for food relief and distribution in Belgium after World War I. He also served as Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Harding and Coolidge in the 1920's. Here Hoover speaks to congress about one year after the great stock market crash of November 1929. He analyzes the causes of the depression, which was not solely felt in the United States, but which was a world wide depression:"To the Senate and House of Representatives:...During the past 12 months we have suffered with other Nations from economic depression. The origins of this depression lie to some extent within our own borders through a speculative period which diverted capital and energy into speculation rather than constructive enterprise. Had overspeculation in securities been the only force operating, we should have seen recovery many months ago, as these particular dislocations have generally readjusted themselves. Other deep-seated causes have been in action, however, chiefly the world-wide overproduction ...of such important basic commodities as wheat, rubber, coffee, sugar, copper, silver, zinc, to some extent cotton, and other raw materials. The cumulative effects of demoralizing price falls of these important commodities in the process of adjustment of production to world consumption have produced financial crises in many countries and have diminished the buying power of these countries (and)extended the difficulties farther afield by creating unemployment in all the industrial nations... The political agitation in Asia; revolutions in South America and political unrest in some European States; and our own drought--have all contributed to prolong and deepen the depression.He finds reason for optimism and gives encouragement and advice as to how we might progress out of that situation:"We should remember that these occasions have been met many times before, that they are but temporary, that our country is to-day stronger and richer in resources, in equipment, in skill, than ever in its history. We are in an extraordinary degree self-sustaining, we will overcome world influences and will lead the march of prosperity as we have always done hitherto. Economic depression can not be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement. Economic wounds must be healed by the action of the cells of the economic body--the producers and consumers themselves. Recovery can be expedited and its effects mitigated by cooperative action. That cooperation requires that every individual should sustain faith and courage; that each should maintain his self-reliance; that each and every one should search for methods of improving his business or service; that the vast majority whose income is unimpaired should not hoard out of fear but should pursue their normal living and recreations; that each should seek to assist his neighbors who may be less fortunate; that each industry should assist its own employees; that each community and each State should assume its full responsibilities for organization of employment and relief of distress with that sturdiness and independence which built a great Nation. Hoover did institute public works projects, such as constructing the Hoover Dam, but his efforts were not enough and he was replaced by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932.

February 2

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, “Press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge, 29^th President, 1923-1929

-from New York Life Insurance Home office bulletin December 10, 1932-Coolidge, nicknamed Silent Cal, had a reputation as a man of few words. If so, this quote was a veritable novel from Coolidge. He was born in Vermont on July 4, 1872, the eldest son of a family whose father was a farmer, store keeper and public servant. His mother died when Coolidge was only twelve years of age. Coolidge attended Amherst College and then moved to North Hampton, Massachusetts, to study law. He, like his father, became active in politics and was eventually elected governor of Massachusetts. In politics and in his home life, he was famous for his one liners. For example, when he was first married, he handed his new wife, Grace, a bag of his socks, all with holes in them. She asked, "Did you marry me to darn your socks?" Coolidge replied, "No, but I find it mighty handy." Coolidge was nominated as Vice President to Warren G. Harding. When Harding died in office, Coolidge ascended to the Presidency in 1923 and was elected outright in 1924. He was a steady hand after Harding's scandal marred tenure and during the prosperous years of "The Roaring 20's". He declined to run for re-election in 1928, giving way to Herbert Hoover. In one of his jobs afterwards, he served on the Board of Directors for the New York Life Insurance Company. This quote, as part of a statement written to the agents of the company, was soon published and distributed as a poster and has been passed on since 1932..."Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."Coolidge died a year later on January 5, 1933.

February 1

February: Presidential Sampler continued

February 1

In the great fulfillment we must have a citizenship less concerned about what the government can do for it and more anxious about what it can do for the nation.

Warren G. Harding, 28^th President, 1921-1923

Janaury 31

"You are not here to merely make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply…with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand."

Woodrow Wilson, 27^th President, 1913-1921

January 30, 1882-Birthdate of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."

32^nd President, 1933-1945, Died in office April 12, 1945

January 29, 1843-Birthdate of William McKinley, Jr.

"The free man can not be long an ignorant man."

25^th President, 1897-1901, Died by assassination September 14, 1901

Janaury 28

"Socialism proposes no adequate substitute for the motive of the enlightened selfishness that today is at the basis of all human labor and effort, enterprise, and new activity."

William Howard Taft, 26^th President, 1909-1913

-from his book, "Popular government: its essence, its permanence and its perils", Chapter IV, page 91.Taft, a Republican, was elected President in 1908 following on the popularity of Theodore Roosevelt. After his Presidency he served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, from 1921 to 1930, a post he enjoyed much more than that of being President. He was born and raised near Cincinnati, Ohio. His father also served in government as Secretary of War and Attorney General under Ulysses S. Grant. Taft, a large man, was nicknamed "Old Bill" at Yale University and was that school's intramural wrestling champion. He also possessed a sharp mind, graduating second in his class. In this work, Taft speaks of the possible despotism, or unlimited power, not only of government over citizens, but also despotism of the majority over a smaller number of people. He specifically refers to the majority of a population limiting the rights to own and control wealth and property by the wealthy.-"...It is sufficient for me now to say that next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed more to the growth of civilization than any other institution established by the human race. If it is to be eliminated from the rights secured to the individual, then we shall see disappear from our community the mainspring of action that has led men to labor, to save, to invent, to devise plans...to increase production...we shall see a halt in thrift, providence, industry, mental and physical activity and energy because they will no longer command the rewards that have heretofore stimulated them...There is reason to believe that the tendency of much of what has been termed "unrest" in society has been fed and stimulated by the jealousy of those who with envious eye are now looking upon the rewards of thrift and saving and enterprise enjoyed by others...I would not minimize the number of the unfortunate who in the struggle for existence have fallen behind...wherever the present law fails to square with the just requirement of modern conditions, I would amend it...at the same time dwelling upon their duties as citizens..."

January 26

"Illiteracy must be banished from the land if we shall attain that high destiny as the foremost of the enlightened nations of the world, which under Providence, we ought to achieve."

William McKinley, 24^th President, 1897-1901

January 25

"The system of universal education is in our age the most prominent…feature of the spirit of enlightenment. Let the national flag float over every school house in the country…as shall impress upon our youth the patriotic duties of American citizenship."

Benjamin Harrison, 23^rd President, 1889-1893

January 24

I know there is a Supreme Being…whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid.

Grover Cleveland, 22^nd and 24^th President, 1885-1889 and 1893-1897

- From his Second Inaugural Address March 4, 1893.-Cleveland was born in 1837 in Caldwell, New Jersey, and spent most of his childhood and adulthood New York state. He was admitted to the New York state bar in 1859. During the Civil War, the Conscription Act allowed draftees to "hire" another to take their place which Cleveland did and continued to work at his law practice, gaining a reputation for hard work and honesty. In 1870 he was elected sheriff of Eerie county and,as sheriff, hanged two convicted murderers. In 1881, he was elected mayor of Buffalo and fought against corruption and cronyism in government. He gained regional attention and was nominated for governor of New York, again fighting against corruption in governmental appointments based on party "reward" rather than merit and the wasting of public money. He was the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms, first in 1885 and again in 1893. As he took office in 1893, the nation was facing a depression which came to be called The Panic of 1893. In his address, Cleveland lays out parts of his fiscal policy..."Under our scheme of government the waste of public money is a crime against the citizen, and the contempt of our people for economy and frugality in their personal affairs deplorably saps the strength and sturdiness of our national character. It is a plain dictate of honesty and good government that public expenditures should be limited by public necessity, and that this should be measured by the rules of strict economy; and it is equally clear that frugality among the people is the best guaranty of a contented and strong support of free institutions. One mode of the misappropriation of public funds is avoided when appointments to office, instead of being the rewards of partisan activity, are awarded to those whose efficiency promises a fair return of work for the compensation paid to them...While there should be no surrender of principle, our task must be undertaken wisely and without heedless vindictiveness. Our mission is not punishment, but the rectification of wrong...The oath I now take to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States not only impressively defines the great responsibility I assume, but suggests obedience to constitutional commands as the rule by which my official conduct must be guided...Above all, I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people, and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid."

January 23

Since I have come here, I have learned that Chester A. Arthur is one man and the President of the United States is another.

Chester A. Arthur, 21^st President, 1881-1885

January 22

I love agitation and investigation and glory in defending unpopular truth against popular error.

James A. Garfield, 20^th President, 1881

January 21

Fighting battles is like courting girls: those who make the most pretensions and are boldest usually win.

Rutherford B. Hayes, 19^th President, 1877-1881

- From Hayes' Civil War diary entry at Camp Green meadows, August 6, 1862.-Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio in 1822 and and graduated from Kenyon College in 1838. He graduated from Harvard Law School and eventually settled in Cincinnati and established his law practice. As a criminal defense attorney, he gained prominence in defending many escaped slaves who had escaped across the Ohio River from Kentucky. When southern states began to secede from the union, Hayes was indifferent towards the idea of a civil war to maintain the union. After the Confederates attacked Ft. Sumpter, however, Hayes did volunteer for the Union Army from Ohio in 1861 and and was promoted to rank of Major. Also joining the division as a private was another future President, William McKinley. The regiment participated in skirmishes and raids up until September 1862 when they were called upon as reinforcements for the Second Battle of Bull Run in Virginia. In the incident of August 6, 1862, Confederate forces attacked the ferry at the New River above Bluestone in West Virginia. There seems to have been confusion as to how large the confederate forces were. Hayes sent troops to repel the raiders."...Soon after a courier from [the] ferry [reported] that the enemy in large force were firing cannon rifled at them. I sent this to Flat Top. Then called up Companies E, C, and K to go to reinforce the ferry. I sent the band to give them music and told the men: "Fighting battles is like courting the girls: those who make most pretension and are boldest usually win. So, go ahead, give good hearty yells as you approach the ferry, let the band play; but don't expose yourselves, keep together and keep under cover. It is a bushwhacking fight across the river. Don't... expose yourself to show bravery; we know you are all brave, etc., etc. The men went off in high spirits...Major Comly destroyed the large ferry-boat. Soon after, the enemy ceased firing and made a rapid retreat. They ran their horses past the ford at Bluestone. Whether they left because they heard our band and reinforcements coming or because they saw the major had done their work, is problematical. From "The Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes, Nineteenth President of the United States", edited by Charles Richard Williams (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society, 1922, page 315

January 20

Everyone has his superstitions. One of mine has always been when I started to go anywhere or to do anything, never to turn back or to stop until the thing intended was accomplished.

Ulysses S. Grant, 18^th President, 1869-1977

January 18

Slavery exists. It is black in the South and white in the North.

Andrew Johnson, 17^th President, 1865-1869

January 18

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not deter us from the support of a cause that is just."

Abraham Lincoln, 16^th President, 1861-1865

January 17

"The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there."

James Buchanan, 15^th President, 1857-1861

January 16

"The dangers of a concentration of all power in the general government of a confederacy so vast as ours are too obvious to be disregarded."

Franklin Pierce, 14^th President, 1853-1857

-From his Inaugural Address, Friday, March 4, 1853- Pierce was elected to the Presidency at the age of forty eight and is the only President from the state of Vermont. He was a college contemporary of authors Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was a compromise candidate of the Democratic Party, gaining the nomination over Stephen A. Douglas (of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates). In the election, he defeated anti-slavery candidate, General Winfield Scott, who had risen to prominence for his performance in the Mexican-American War. As President, he appointed Jefferson Davis his Secretary of War, who later became President of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Tragically, his last surviving son, Benjamin, was killed in a train accident only two months before Pierce took office. His Presidency was largely ineffectual, with the controversy of the expansion of slavery into new territories again dividing the nation. One of the notable accomplishments of his administration was the opening of trade with Japan through the Admiral Perry expedition. In his address, recited from memory, Pierce praised the founding fathers and their ability approve a new constitution which balanced power between the federal and state governments:"...when we were just emerging from the weakness and embarrassments of the Confederation, there was an evident consciousness of vigor equal to the great mission so wisely and bravely fulfilled by our fathers. It was not a presumptuous assurance, but a calm faith, springing from a clear view of the sources of power in a government constituted like ours. It is no paradox to say that although comparatively weak the new-born nation was intrinsically strong. Inconsiderable in population and apparent resources, it was upheld by a broad and intelligent comprehension of rights and an all-pervading purpose to maintain them...The dangers of a concentration of all power in the general government of a confederacy so vast as ours are too obvious to be disregarded. You have a right, therefore, to expect your agents in every department to regard strictly the limits imposed upon them by the Constitution of the United States. The great scheme of our constitutional liberty rests upon a proper distribution of power between the State and Federal authorities, and experience has shown that the harmony and happiness of our people must depend upon a just discrimination between the separate rights and responsibilities of the States and your common rights and obligations under the General Government..."

January 15

It is not strange to mistake change for progress.

Millard Fillmore, 13^th President, 1850-1853

-From his State of the Union Address, December 6, 1852.-Fillmore, from The Fingerlakes region of upstate New York, was Vice President under Zachary Taylor. He became President when Taylor died in office July 9, 1850. Fillmore did not attain the highest of rankings as President but in this address he does provide a few insightful remarks regarding the future of the nation. As technological advancements decreased the travel time between the United States and Europe, many believed we should become more involved in European politics and help establish republican democracies. Such sentiments are still present today. Fillmore urges caution:"...Although no one proposes that we should join the fraternity of potentates who have for ages lavished the blood and treasure of their subjects in maintaining "the balance of power," yet it is said that we ought to interfere between contending sovereigns and their subjects for the purpose of overthrowing the monarchies of Europe and establishing in their place republican institutions...This is a most seductive but dangerous appeal to the generous sympathies of freemen...the world is governed less by sympathy than by reason and force; that it was not possible for this nation to become a "propagandist" of free principles without arraying against it the combined powers of Europe, and that the result was more likely to be the overthrow of republican liberty here than its establishment there...". He also cautioned against the unbridled march of technology and profit at the greater expense rights of individuals and the well being of the country in general:"...We live in an age of progress, and ours is emphatically a country of progress...The genius of one American has enabled our commerce to move against wind and tide and that of another has annihilated distance in the transmission of intelligence. The whole country is full of enterprise... Government must keep pace with the progress of the people...It is not strange, however much it may be regretted, that such an exuberance of enterprise should cause some individuals to mistake change for progress and the invasion of the rights of others for national prowess and glory. The former are constantly agitating for some change in the organic law, or urging new and untried theories of human rights. The latter are ever ready to engage in any wild crusade against a neighboring people, regardless of the justice of the enterprise and without looking at the fatal consequences to ourselves and to the cause of popular government.

January 14

"For more than half a century…this Union has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet still it remains the proudest monument to their memory."

Zachary Taylor, 12^th President, 1849-1850

-From his State of the Union Address, December 4, 1849.-Taylor gave only this single State of the Union Address. He died the next summer on July 9, apparently from food poisoning. Here he addresses sweeping foreign relations with numerous counties. He advocates an agreement with Nicaragua to build a canal across the isthmus of Panama, which would be accomplished sixty years later. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildalgo had been signed annexing a large territory across the southwest, including what would become California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Mexicans in those annexed areas had the choice of returning to Mexico or becoming U.S. citizens with full rights. He also casts an eye towards Hawaii, then called The Sandwich Islands. He advocates their independence, but does not want them to come under the influence of any other nation. Looming most largely on the horizon is the issue of slavery and whether or not it would be allowed in the new territories. There was rumbling the the southern states may secede from the union if slavery was not to be allowed to expand. Taylor, formerly a general in the army, was prepared to forcibly keep the union together. He alludes to the strength of the union at the end of his address:"...attachment to the Union of the States should be habitually fostered in every American heart. For more than half a century, during which kingdoms and empires have fallen, this Union has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet still it remains, the proudest monument to their memory and the object of affection and admiration with everyone worthy to bear the American name. In my judgment its dissolution would be the greatest of calamities, and to avert that should be the study of every American. Upon its preservation must depend our own happiness and that of countless generations to come. Whatever dangers may threaten it, I shall stand by it and maintain it in its integrity to the full extent of the obligations imposed and the powers conferred upon me by the Constitution.

Jaunary 13

"One great object of the constitution was to restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching on their just rights. Minorities have a right to appeal to the constitution as a shield against such oppression."

James K. Polk, 11^th President, 1845-1849

-From his Inaugural Address, March 4, 1845-Polk, born in North Carolina and representing Tennessee, became the youngest man who had been elected President up to that time, following Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson before him. During his administration, he oversaw the annexation of Texas in the Mexican-American War and negotiated with Great Britain for the annexation of Oregon. Also, he presided over the groundbreaking for the Washington Monument and the U.S. Naval Academy. He was one of the hardest working U.S. Presidents and died of Cholera only three months after his term ended. It has been said his death was partially due to exhaustion and that he had worked himself to death. In his address, he invokes the Constitution as his guide.-"... If the more aged and experienced men who have filled the office of President of the United States even in the infancy of the Republic distrusted their ability to discharge the duties of that exalted station, what ought not to be the apprehensions of one so much younger and less endowed now that our domain extends from ocean to ocean, that our people have so greatly increased in numbers...Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country's peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family...With a firm reliance upon the wisdom of Omnipotence to sustain and direct me in the path of duty which I am appointed to pursue, I stand in the presence of this assembled multitude of my countrymen to take upon myself the solemn obligation "to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States...By the theory of our Government majorities rule, but this right is not an arbitrary or unlimited one. It is a right to be exercised in subordination to the Constitution and in conformity to it. One great object of the Constitution was to restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching upon their just rights. Minorities have a right to appeal to the Constitution as a shield against such oppression...The inestimable value of our Federal Union is felt and acknowledged by all. By this system of united and confederated States our people are permitted collectively arid individually to seek their own happiness in their own way, and the consequences have been most auspicious. Since the Union was formed the number of the States has increased from thirteen to twenty-eight; two of these have taken their position as members of the Confederacy within the last week. Our population has increased from three to twenty millions..."

January 12

"Popularity, I have always thought, may be aptly compared to a coquette- the more you woo her, the more apt is she to elude your embrace."

John Tyler, 10^th President, 1841-1845

-From remarks in Congress in 1816 in favor of repealing the compensation law-Tyler knew much about popularity or lack thereof. He became the first Vice-President to assume the Presidency after the death of William Henry Harrison. He fully assumed the title and duties of President and was fiercely opposed by many leaders of the day, who believed that he should be a mere figurehead and meekly and only symbolically serve out his term. Tyler had established early in his career that one should make decisions based on one's beliefs, not to gain popularity. In 1816 House of Representatives had increased their compensation from a per diem of $6 dollars per day to $1500 per year. As one might imagine, this pay raise was very unpopular and subsequently there was debate about having it repealed. Many learned and esteemed representatives, including Henry Clay, spoke in favor of keeping the law. Tyler, a young and inexperienced member of the House, did not seek the popularity of his peers as he bravely spoke in favor of repealing the act:"...Popularity, is to be desired by all, and the good esteem of his fellow men is the best reward the patriot can receive...This is not to be obtained by a low and grovelling pursuit of popular favor; and the man who rests his hopes of popularity on such a course will, most assuredly, be disappointed in his object. Popularity, I have always thought, may aptly be compared to a coquette-the more you woo her, the more apt is she to elude your embrace; and it is by pursuing a steady, firm, and uniform course, not at variance with the rights of the people, that she is ever made permanently to yield to your possession...If a member of this House is not a representative of the people, what is he? Is the servant to disobey the wishes of his master? From the very meaning of the word representative, the obligation to obey instructions results...I prefer to draw my principles from the man who fell a martyr in the cause of freedom...I shall vote for a repeal of the compensation law, as I know it to be the wish of my constituents that it should be repealed. They have looked to the large national debt, and think it requires reduction..." , "Abell, Alexander Gurdon, "Life of John Tyler, President of the United States", Harper & Brothers, New York, New York, 1843, pages 16-17.

January 11

"The chains of military despotism, once fastened upon a nation, ages might pass away before they could be shaken off."

William Henry Harrison, 9th President, 1841-From a letter written to Simon Bolivar- Harrison has the distinction of being the first President to die in office and serving the shortest term in office. After giving a lengthy outdoor inaugural speech, he died of pneumonia only thirty days after his inauguration at the age of sixty-eight. In the early part of his career, he helped expand the young United States territory by buying land from the Miami tribe of Ohio. The tribe ceded land of several other tribes without authorization and the purchase was opposed by the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh. Harrison gained fame for repelling an Shawnee attack and defeating them in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Afterwards he served in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In 1828, he was appointed minister to Columbia by John Quincy Adams. He witnessed the conditions there and feared Simon Bolivar was about to become dictator of that country. He wrote a rebuke which was rejected by Bolivar. Harrison was recalled to the United States when Andrew Jackson became President in 1829. In a letter written to Bolivar on September 27, 1829, Harrison states, in part:"...Depend on it, sir, that the moment which shall announce the continuance of arbitrary power in you hands, will be the commencement of commotions which will require all your talent and energies to suppress. You may succeed. The disciplined army at your disposal may be too powerful for an unarmed, undisciplined population; but one unsuccessful effort will not content them, and your feelings will be eternally racked by being obliged to make war upon those who have been accustomed to call you their father...I must say, that, if the tranquility of Columbia is to be preserved in this way, the wildest anarchy would be preferable. Out of that anarchy a better government might arise; but the chains of military despotism once fastened upon a nation, ages might pass away before they could be shaken off...I contend that the strongest of all governments is that which is most free.","Samuel Jones, Burr, The life and times of William Henry Harrison, page 288, L.W. Ransom, Philadelphia, 1840."

January 10

"To avoid the necessity of permanent debt and its inevitable consequences...I have advocated and endeavored to carry into effect...only such objects as are clearly within the constitutional authority of the Federal Government."

Martin Van Buren, 8th President, 1837-1841-Fourth Annual Message to Congress December 5, 1840-Van Buren followed Andrew Jackson as President and agreed with the policy of abolishing and limiting the federal bank. He correctly and greatly feared being in debt to either a national bank or any foreign power. He would no doubt be aghast at corporate bailouts, our national debt today, and the foreign powers to whom we owe money."...In lieu of a national bank or a dependence upon banks of any description for the management of our fiscal affairs, I recommended the adoption of the system which is now in successful operation. That system affords every requisite facility for the transaction of the pecuniary concerns of the government; it is confidently anticipated to...do away forever all dependence on corporate bodies either in the raising, collecting, safekeeping, or disbursing the public revenues, and place the government equally above the temptation or the necessity of adapting its policy to the views and interests of a still more formidable money power abroad...Not deeming it within the constitutional powers of the general government to repair private losses sustained by reverses in business having no connection with the public service, either by direct appropriations from the Treasury or by special legislation designed to secure exclusive privileges and immunities to individuals or classes at the expense of the great majority- no attempt to do so has been either made, recommended, or encouraged by the present executive. It is believed, however, that the great purposes for the attainment of which the federal government was instituted have not been lost sight of. Intrusted only with certain limited powers, cautiously enumerated, distinctly specified, and defined with a precision and clearness which would seem to defy misconstruction, it has been my constant aim to confine myself within the limits so clearly marked out and so carefully guarded.

January 9, 1913- Birthdate of Richard Nixon

"A man is not finished when he's defeated; he's finished when he quits."

37th President, 1969-1974-Remarks attributed to Nixon upon conceding the Presidential election of 1960 to John F. Kennedy.Nixon had spent eight years as Dwight Eisenhower's Vice-President and had gained much political experience.in that office. He was defeated by Kennedy in one of the closest and controversial elections since 1916. One highlight of the election was a series of the first ever televised Presidential debates, ushering in the great age of televised politics. Those who listened to the debates on radio indicated they believed Nixon had prevailed, while those who viewed the debates on television believed Kennedy had won, based on his appearance and demeanor. Nixon stayed in political life and was defeated again in the California gubernatorial election of 1962. In fitting application to his quote, however, he ran again for President and was elected in 1968. He was President when the United States first landed a man on the moon in 1969, fulfilling Kennedy's quest to do so by the end of the decade. As the Apollo space program wound down, Nixon signed a bill authoring $5.5 million authorizing the development of the space shuttle program. Nixon presided over the end of the Vietnam War and the student protests over foreign policy. He negotiated Nuclear Arms treaties with Russia and opened trade and communication with China. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, he became the first President to resign office on August 9, 1974. His Presidential Library and final resting place are located in Yorba Linda, California.

January 8

"One man with courage makes a majority."

Andrew Jackson, 7th President, 1829-1837-Attributed to Jackson, although a definitive source has not been found.This quote is something to which Jackson certainly would have subscribed. Irascible and confrontational, easily provoked to anger, Jackson was one of our most controversial Presidents. Jackson's father died weeks before he was born and his mother died when Jackson was fourteen. At the age of thirteen, Jackson aided in the Revolutionary War as a courier. He and his brother were captured by the British and almost starved to death in captivity. When Jackson refused to clean a British officer's boots, he was struck with the officer's sword, leaving scars on his hand and face. Jackson intensely hated the British from that point on. In adulthood, he led the Battle of New Orleans, decisively defeating the British Army at the end of the War of 1812 with an assembled group of militia fighters. Subsequently, He fought the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Seminole tribes in the southeast and Florida. As President, he passed and enforced the Indian Removal Act, forcing the removal of the Cherokee and other tribes to Oklahoma. He gained popularity among the common people by opposing the National Bank as oppressive and slashed many bureaucratic governmental positions. On a personal level, he fought many duels and lived many years with a musket ball lodged in a lung. Jackson also was a slave owner, growing cotton on his plantation, called The Hermitage, in Tennessee.

January 7, 1800- Birthdate of Millard Fillmore

"An honorable defeat is better than a dishonorable victory."

13th President, 1850-1853- Summary of remarks September 13, 1844, upon being nominated by the Whig Party for the Governorship of New York. - The Whig party arose in opposition to what they saw as too much Presidential power being taken by Andrew Jackson. Fillmore lost the gubernatorial election but in 1848 Zachary Taylor would be nominated by the Whigs for President and Fillmore was nominated Vice President. He rose to the Presidency when Taylor died in office in 1850. "...He said he hoped that no friend of his, however warm his attachment might be, would be guilty of any dishonorable act to effect his election; so that when the Whig flag-which is now proudly and fearlessly unfurled, destined in November to float in triumph and victory over a large portion of our Union-so that the joy and happiness that they might experience, would not be marred by an unworthy or dishonorable reflection. He entreated them to enter the contest with zeal and enthusiasm; but as they valued the sacredness of their cause, and the stability of their principles, to resort to no unfair means: that an honorable defeat was better than a dishonorable victory."

January 6

"Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into thin air."

John Quincy Adams, 6th President, 1825-1829-Delivered at Plymouth Massachusetts, December 22, 1802, in Commemoration of the Landing of the PilgrimsThe Pilgrims reached Massachusetts in November of the year 1620. They sent out different scouting parties and eventually chose Plymouth, setting anchor on approximately December 16, 1620. Adams, from Massachusetts, was a descendant of Pilgrims, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, both members of the original Mayflower party... "...Under every species of discouragement, they undertook the voyage; they performed it in spite of numerous and almost insuperable obstacles; they arrived upon a wilderness bound with frost and hoary with snow, without the boundaries of their charter, outcasts from all human society, and coasted five weeks together, in the dead of winter, on this tempestuous shore, exposed at once to the fury of the elements, to the arrows of the native savage, and to the impending horrors of famine. Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air. These qualities have ever been displayed in their mightiest perfection, as attendants in the retinue of strong passions...Children of these exalted Pilgrims! Is there one among you ho can hear the simple and pathetic energy of these expressions without tenderness and admiration? Venerated shades of our forefathers! No, ye were, indeed, not ordinary men! That country which had ejected you so cruelly from her bosom you still delighted to contemplate in the character of an affectionate and beloved mother. The sacred bond which knit you together was indissoluble while you lived; and oh, may it be to your descendants the example and the pledge of harmony to the latest period of time! The difficulties and dangers, which so often had defeated attempts of similar establishments, were unable to subdue souls tempered like yours. You heard the rigid interdictions; you saw the menacing forms of toil and danger, forbidding your access to this land of promise; but you heard without dismay; you saw and disdained retreat.

January 5

"It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty."

James Monroe, 5th President, 1817-1825-from his First Inaugural Address, Tuesday, March 4, 1817. Monroe was the last President to have fought in the Revolutionary War. Like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, he, too, passed away on July 4, though five years after them. He served as governor of Virginia and as Secretary of State under Jefferson, and Secretary of War under James Madison during the War of 1812. Monroe writes,"...From the commencement of our Revolution to the present day almost forty years have elapsed, and from the establishment of this Constitution twenty-eight. Through this whole term the Government has been what may emphatically be called self-government. And what has been the effect?-...During a period fraught with difficulties and marked by very extraordinary events the United States have flourished beyond example. Their citizens individually have been happy and the nation prosperous...Under this Constitution our commerce has been wisely regulated with foreign nations and between the States; new States have been admitted into our Union; our territory has been enlarged by fair and honorable treaty, and with great advantage to the original States; the States, respectively protected by the National Government under a mild, parental system against foreign dangers, and enjoying within their separate spheres, by a wise partition of power, a just proportion of the sovereignty, have improved their police, extended their settlements, and attained a strength and maturity which are the best proofs of wholesome laws well administered...The Government has been in the hands of the people. To the people, therefore, and to the faithful and able depositaries of their trust is the credit due. Had the people of the United States been educated in different principles had they been less intelligent, less independent, or less virtuous can it be believed that we should have maintained the same steady and consistent career or been blessed with the same success? While, then, the constituent body retains its present sound and healthful state everything will be safe. They will choose competent and faithful representatives for every department. It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising the sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin. Let us, then, look to the great cause, and endeavor to preserve it in full force. Let us by all wise and constitutional measures promote intelligence among the people as the best means of preserving our liberties.

January 4

"In framing a government...the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place, oblige it to control itself."

James Madison, 4th President, 1809-1817, from The Federalist Papers, #51, New York Independent Journal, Wednesday, February 6, 1788.-The United States Constitution was adopted September 17, 1787 by a constitutional convention and ratified by the eleventh state on June 21, 1788. George Washington did not take his oath of office as the first President until April 30, 1789. Madison favored a stronger more centralized Federal government and needed to persuade the country that such a government would not become too powerful and oppress the people since the colonies had just fought the War of Independence to escape the oppressive British government. The U.S. Constitution, of course, provides for checks and balance between the three departments of government. Madison also states that in a republic, the rights of minority factions must also be protected from injustice from a more powerful majority: First. In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments...Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself. Second. 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. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure...Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit. In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign as in a state of nature, where the weaker individual is not secured against the violence of the stronger; and as, in the latter state, even the stronger individuals are prompted, by the uncertainty of their condition, to submit to a government which may protect the weak as well as themselves. In our ever evolving country and our ever evolving world, I repeat Madison's words reqarding justice: "It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit."