Thomas Paine: “We see with other eyes; we hear with other ears; and think with other thoughts, than those we formerly used.”

It was become evident, that no constitution, worthy of being called by that name, could be established on anything less than a national ground.

The American constitutions were to liberty what a grammar is to language: they define its parts of speech, and practically construct them into syntax.

In fine, society performs for itself almost everything which is ascribed to government.

It was a sort of new form of government that insensibly served to put the old one out of sight and to unhinge it from the superstitious authority of antiquity.