I recently added The Federalist's Quote of the Day feature to my blog, sharing with my readers the wisdom of those who founded Our Republic, having framed the documents that provide a foundation for American liberty, such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

Today's quote, from Thomas Jefferson, deserves a special post all its own, and a place of special prominence.

Our peculiar security is in the possession of a written Constitution. Let us not make it a blank paper by construction.
-- Thomas Jefferson (letter to Wilson Nicholas, 1803)
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (Memorial Edition), Lipscomb and Bergh, eds., 10:419.

We live in an age in which there are many, especially in the judiciary, who would make of the Constitution a blank page by construing itsclear words in a manner alien to the American political and legal tradition, and through the application of alien laws and doctrines to the matters over which that great charter of liberty is to be the supreme law. Let us remember that the touchstone is the text as it was understood by those who wrote and ratified it, not the latest academic fad, legal trend, or judicial fancy.

Posted by: Greg at 10:06 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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