If a government can forbid the free exercise of a single one of man's natural rights, it may, for the same reason, forbid the exercise of any and all of them; and thus establish, practically and absolutely, Marshall's principle, that the government has all power, and the people no rights.
Lysander Spooner: “If a government can forbid the free exercise of a single one of man's natural rights, it may, for the same reason…”
Editor's note · Context
Spooner argues that if a government can restrict one natural right, it can restrict all, leading to total governmental power.
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They do not tell us that we are the freest and happiest people on earth, inasmuch as each of our male adults is allowed one voice in ten millions in the choice of the men, who are to rob, enslave, and murder us.
When they have once taken our money, they have the decency to get out of our sight as soon as possible; they do not persist in following us, and robbing us, again and again, so long as we produce anything that they can take from us.
For all these reasons, they are not only modest and sensible, but really frank, honest, and honorable villains, contrasted with these courts of injustice, and the lawmakers by whom these courts are established.
In short, they acknowledge themselves hostes humani generis: enemies of the human race.