The Constitution on which our Union rests, shall be administered by me [as President] according to the safe and honest meaning contemplated by the plain understanding of the people of the United States at the time of its adoption - a meaning to be found in the explanations of those who advocated, not those who opposed it, and who opposed it merely lest the construction should be applied which they denounced as possible.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes interpreting the Constitution based on the original intent of its supporters rather than the critiques of its opponents.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson articulates his belief that the Constitution should be understood and implemented based on the intentions and interpretations of its framers rather than the objections raised by those who opposed its creation. He stresses the importance of a faithful adherence to the original understanding of the document by aligning with the explanations of its advocates, reinforcing the notion that governance should reflect the foundational principles established at the time of its adoption.
In practice
During a debate on constitutional interpretation, this quote can be used to advocate for a historically grounded approach.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
The west was involved in toppling the Mossadegh government. That ultimately led to the Iranian revolution.
The foulest damage to our political life comes not from the 'secrets' which they hide from us, but from the little bits of half-truth and disinformation which they do tell us. These are already pre-digested, and then are sicked up as little gobbits of authorised spew. The columns of defense correspondents in the establishment sheets serve as the spittoons.
This legislation confronts the human truth that the need for clean water knows no borders, and proper management and intervention can be a currency for peace and international cooperation.
The public think the politicians don't know or care about their lives; and the politicians feel misunderstood.
The United States has to move very fast to even stand still.
If a conservative is a liberal who's been mugged, a liberal is a conservative who's been arrested.
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