If there were a Constitution, it certainly could be referred to; and the debate on any constitutional point would terminate by producing the Constitution.
Thomas Paine: “If there were a Constitution, it certainly could be referred to; and the debate on any constitutional point would…”
Editor's note · Context
Paine argues that if a true constitution existed, it would serve as a definitive reference point to resolve any constitutional debate.
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When men unite in agreeing that a thing is good, could it be obtained, such for instance as relief from a burden of taxes and the extinction of corruption, the object is more than half accomplished.
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