(1743-1826) The 3rd President of The United States from 1801 to 1809 [Thomas Jefferson at Amazon]
If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.
I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
A free people claim their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their magistrate.