"The master not only governs the slave..." - Quote by Abraham Lincoln
The master not only governs the slave without his consent, but he governs him by a set of rules altogether different from those which he prescribes for himself. Allow ALL the governed anequal voice in the government, and that, and that only, is self-government.
More by Abraham Lincoln
“I understand that it is a maxim of law, that a poor plea may be a good plea to a bad declaration.”
“My faith in the proposition that each man should do precisely as he pleases with all which is exclusively his own lies at the foundation of the sense of justice there is in me.”
“In my view of the present aspect of affairs, there is no need of bloodshed and war. There is no necessity for it. I am not in favor of such a course, and I may say in advance, there will be no blood shed unless it be forced upon the government. The government will not use force unless force is used against it.”
More on Government
“As a rule of thumb. Congressional legislation that is bipartisan is usually twice as bad as legislation that is partisan.”
“We do have to balance this issue of privacy and security. Those who pretend that there's no balance that has to be struck and think we can take a 100-percent absolutist approach to protecting privacy don't recognize that governments are going to be under an enormous burden to prevent the kinds of terrorist acts that not only harm individuals, but also can distort our society and our politics in very dangerous ways.”
“The citizens begin by giving up some part of the constitution, and so with greater ease the government change something else which is a little more important, until they have undermined the whole fabric of the state.”
More on Liberty
“What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence?”
“In a government bottomed on the will of all, the... liberty of every individual citizen becomes interesting to all.”
“What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun? The generalizing and concentrating all cares and power into one body, no matter whether of the autocrats of Russia or France, or of the aristocrats of a Venetian senate.”