Edmund Burke: “They give no reason for their verdict, they can but condemn or acquit; and no man can tell the motives on which they…”

A few years ago I should be ashamed to overload a matter so capable of supporting itself by the then unnecessary support of any argument; but this seditious, unconstitutional doctrine is now publicly taught, avowed, and printed.

This is the spirit of our Constitution, not only in its settled course, but in all its revolutions.

They have little regard to the obvious consequences of their doctrine, though they may see that it leaves positive authority in very few of the positive institutions of this country.

But an absurd theory on one side of a question forms no justification for alleging a false fact or promulgating mischievous maxims on the other.