“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government…”
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) did write, in the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, the following: “...in questions of power then, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.”
Jefferson did not write the following quotation that is frequently credited to him: “The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”
The Jefferson misquotation appears in April 2000 in an essay, “Rule by Brute Force,” by Steve Kubby of the American Medical Marijuana Association.
Wikipedia: Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States. Jefferson envisioned America as the force behind a great “Empire of Liberty” that would promote republicanism and counter the imperialism of the British Empire.
Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.” So far we have been unable to locate such a statement in any of Jefferson’s writings. He did employ the phrase “chains of the Constitution” at least once, however, in the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: “...in questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution…” (from draft)
Bogus Quotes Attributed to the Founders
The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.
—- Falsely attributed to Thomas Jefferson.
The Papers of Thomas Jefferson - Kentucky Resolutions
I. Jefferson’s Draft
The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 30: 1 January 1798 to 31 January 1799
(Princeton University Press, 2003), 536-43
[before 4 Oct. 1798]
...in questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution:[23] that this commonwealth does therefore call on it’s co-states for an expression of their sentiments on the acts concerning aliens and for the punishment of certain crimes, herein before specified, plainly declaring whether these acts are, or are not, authorised by the federal compact?...
(...)
[23]The long insertion ends here, TJ placing a line of flourishes and then the words “that this” to confirm the resumption of his original text.
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From: “Mark2101”
Date: 2000/04/24
Subject: AMMA -TALK: OPED: Rule by Brute Force
RULE BY BRUTE FORCE
by Steve Kubby, The American Medical Marijuana Association
(...)
Thomas Jefferson once noted, “The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”
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From: Frank Lorvik
Date: 2000/04/26
Subject: Krigen mot uønskede substanser og aktiviteter
Thomas Jefferson once noted, “The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”
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From: “CDH”
Date: 2000/04/28
Subject: Re: Release: Elian Gonzalez
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”
—Thomas Jefferson
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From: “Raziel”
Date: 2000/11/21
Subject: Re: America Is A Banana Republic?
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first. “—Thomas Jefferson
Google Books
Cornucopia of Evil
2nd edition
By Michael Collins
Seguin, TX: The Documentalist, Inc.
2005
Pg. 9:
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”
Thomas Jefferson
Google Books
Into the Rabbit Hole
By Michael David Warren
Dog Ear Publishing
2005
Pg. 242:
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”—Thomas Jefferson
FOXNews.com - Glenn Beck
Title: The One Thing: 1/29
Published: Fri, 29 Jan 2010
Description: Hope and change: The history of American progressivism
(...)
Can we flip this we put this chalk board because that Thomas Jefferson. Talked about this very thing and the difference. I think this would be a fundamental difference here. “The two enemies of the people are criminals. And government so let us tied the second down. With the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalize version of the first.”
The Libertarian Perspective
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Quote of the Day
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
Posted by Jarod Wachtel at 1:36 AM