Historical voices

I presume, that though all the people of England pay taxes, not an hundredth part of them are electors, and the members of one of the houses of parliament represent nobody but themselves.

But in England there are no such occasional bodies; and as to those who are now called Representatives, a great part of them are mere machines of the court, placemen, and dependants.

There ought, therefore, to be in every nation a method of occasionally ascertaining the state of public opinion with respect to government.

When a nation changes its opinion and habits of thinking, it is no longer to be governed as before; but it would not only be wrong, but bad policy, to attempt by force what ought to be accomplished by reason.

It is a great standing which they have now universally obtained; and we may hereafter hope to see revolutions, or changes in governments, produced with the same quiet operation by which any measure, determinable by reason and discussion…

Where these can have the opportunity of acting, opposition dies with fear, or crumbles away by conviction.

From both those instances it is evident, that the greatest forces that can be brought into the field of revolutions, are reason and common interest.

The time is not very distant when England will laugh at itself for sending to Holland, Hanover, Zell, or Brunswick for men, at the expense of a million a year, who understood neither her laws, her language, nor her interest, and whose…

The fraud, hypocrisy, and imposition of governments, are now beginning to be too well understood to promise them any long career.

If taxation be once let loose, it will be difficult to re-instate it; neither would the relief be so effectual, as if it proceeded by some certain and gradual reduction.

Like a secret told, they are beyond recall; and he must be blind indeed that does not see that a change is already beginning.

They are abroad in the world, and no force can stop them.

It is, however, easy to see, that as the nation proceeds in contemplating the nature and principles of government, and to understand taxes, and make comparisons between those of America, France, and England, it will be next to impossible…

Prop it as you please, it continually sinks into court government, and ever will.

The foundation and the superstructure of the government is bad.

The debt, therefore, is not reduced one farthing to the public by all the millions that have been paid; and it would require more money now to purchase up the capital, than when the scheme began.

The only knowledge which the public can have of the reduction of the debt, must be through the reduction of taxes for paying the interest.

The burthen of the national debt consists not in its being so many millions, or so many hundred millions, but in the quantity of taxes collected every year to pay the interest.

Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.

If ye can be kept disputing and wrangling about church and meeting, ye just answer the purpose of every courtier, who lives the while on the spoils of the taxes, and laughs at your credulity.

Ye simple men on both sides the question, do you not see through this courtly craft?

I speak on this subject with the more freedom, because I am known not to be a Presbyterian; and therefore the cant cry of court sycophants, about church and meeting, kept up to amuse and bewilder the nation, cannot be raised against me.

It is a reproach to any government to waste such an immensity of revenue in sinecures and nominal and unnecessary places and officers, and not allow even a decent livelihood to those on whom the labour falls.

When wages are fixed by what is called a law, the legal wages remain stationary, while every thing else is in progression; and as those who make that law still continue to lay on new taxes by other laws, they increase the expense of living…