There is a tendency in all parties, when they have been for a long time in possession of power, to augment it.
John C. CalhounRead
The danger in our system is that the general government, which represents the interests of the whole, may encroach on the states, which represent the peculiar and local interests, or that the latter may encroach on the former.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote warns about the tension between federal and state governments regarding their interests.
John C. Calhoun highlights the inherent conflict in a system of governance where the general government may overstep its bounds and infringe upon state rights, while also cautioning that states might assert themselves at the expense of the general government. It underscores the delicate balance that must be maintained to ensure that both levels of government serve the interests of the people without undermining one another.
Themes
GovernmentStatesInterestsBalancePower
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about federalism, this quote can illustrate the potential conflicts between state and federal authorities.
More from John C. Calhoun
All quotes βI hold that there is a mysterious connection between the fate of this country and that of Mexico; so much so that her independence and capability of sustaining herself are almost as essential to our prosperity and the maintenance of our institutions as they are to hers.
John C. CalhounRead
The error is in the assumption that the General Government is a party to the constitutional compact. The States ... formed the compact, acting as sovereign and independent communities.
John C. CalhounRead
There is not an example on record of any free state holding a province of the same extent and population without disastrous consequences. The nations conquered and held as a province have, in time, retaliated by destroying the liberty of their conquerors through the corrupting effect of extended patronage and irresponsible power.
John C. CalhounRead
Stripped of all its covering, the naked question is, whether ours is a federal or consolidated government; a constitutional or absolute one; a government resting solidly on the basis of the sovereignty of the States, or on the unrestrained will of a majority; a form of government, as in all other unlimited ones, in which injustice, violence, and force must ultimately prevail.
John C. CalhounRead
Restore, without delay, the equilibrium between revenue and expenditures, which has done so much to destroy our credit and derange the whole fabric of government. If that should not be done, the government and country will be involved, ere long, in overwhelming difficulties.
John C. CalhounRead
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