Lysander Spooner

In reality there is no such thing as an inflation of prices, relatively to gold. There is such a thing as a…

— Lysander Spooner

The constitution of the United States declares that "no State shall pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts."

— Lysander Spooner

The law does not require a man to cease to be a man, and act without regard to consequences, when he becomes…

— Lysander Spooner

The trial by jury might safely be introduced into a despotic government, if the jury were to exercise no right of judging…

— Lysander Spooner

The only security men can have for their political liberty, consists in keeping their money in their own pockets.

— Lysander Spooner

Those who deny the right of a jury to protect an individual in resisting an unjust law of the government, deny him…

— Lysander Spooner

A traitor is a betrayer - one who practices injury, while professing friendship. Benedict Arnold was a traitor, solely because, while professing…

— Lysander Spooner

Vices are simply the errors which a man makes in his search after his own happiness. Unlike crimes, they imply no malice…

— Lysander Spooner

Any number of scoundrels, having money enough to start with, can establish themselves as a 'government'; because, with money, they can hire…

— Lysander Spooner

Who are ever taxed? Individuals only. Who have property that can be taxed? Individuals only. Who can give their consent to be…

— Lysander Spooner

The apology, that is constantly put forth for the injustice of government, viz., that a man must consent to give up some…

— Lysander Spooner

Children learn many principles of natural law at a very early age. For example: they learn that when one child has picked…

— Lysander Spooner

All know the importance of sustaining the hopes of a sick man. The reason of this is that his nervous system is…

— Lysander Spooner

Doing a thing by law, or according to law, is only carrying the law into execution. And punishing a man by, or…

— Lysander Spooner

Man, no doubt, owes many other moral duties to his fellow men; such as to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter…

— Lysander Spooner

For everybody has a natural right to defend his own person and property against aggressors, but also to go to the assistance…

— Lysander Spooner

If those persons, who fancy themselves gifted with both the power and the right to define and punish other men's vices, would…

— Lysander Spooner

The Rothschilds, and that class of money-lenders of whom they are the representatives and agents - men who never think of lending…

— Lysander Spooner

No man can delegate,... any right of arbitrary dominion over a 3rd person; for that would imply a right in the 1st…

— Lysander Spooner

The 'nations,' as they are called, with whom our pretended ambassadors, secretaries, presidents, and senators profess to make treaties, are as much…

— Lysander Spooner

I was put into jail as I was going to the shoemaker's to get a shoe which was mended. When I was…

— Lysander Spooner

There has been no clearer principle of English or American constitutional law than that, in criminal cases, it is not only the…

— Lysander Spooner

The mere toleration of the slave trade could not make slavery itself - the right of property in man - lawful any…

— Lysander Spooner

Taking a man's money without his consent, is also as much robbery, when it is done by millions of men, acting in…

— Lysander Spooner

All restraints upon man's natural liberty, not necessary for the simple maintenance of justice, are of the nature of slavery, and differ…

— Lysander Spooner

A married woman has the same natural right to acquire and hold property, and to make all contracts that she is mentally…

— Lysander Spooner

All legitimate government is a mutual insurance company, voluntarily agreed upon by the parties to it, for the protection of their rights…

— Lysander Spooner

But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a…

— Lysander Spooner

For a government to declare a vice to be a crime, and to punish it as such, is an attempt to falsify…

— Lysander Spooner

Legislators and judges are necessarily exposed to all the temptations of money, fame, and power, to induce them to disregard justice between…

— Lysander Spooner

A government that can at pleasure accuse, shoot, and hang men, as traitors, for the one general offence of refusing to surrender…

— Lysander Spooner

The imaginations of believers have dressed up and exaggerated the excellence of the style and matter of the New Testament generally, in…

— Lysander Spooner

If any man's money can be taken by a so-called government, without his own personal consent, all his other rights are taken…

— Lysander Spooner

If it be said that the consent of the strongest party in a nation, is all that is necessary to justify the…

— Lysander Spooner

The trial by jury is a trial by 'the country,' in contradistinction to a trial by the government. The jurors are drawn…

— Lysander Spooner

But for their right to judge of the law, and the justice of the law, juries would be no protection to an…

— Lysander Spooner

To say that majorities, as such, have a right to rule minorities, is equivalent to saying that minorities have, and ought to…

— Lysander Spooner

Now a slave is not 'held' by any legal contract, obligation, duty, or authority, which the laws will enforce. He is 'held'…

— Lysander Spooner

That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes in view, any longer than…

— Lysander Spooner

It is a natural impossibility for any man to make a binding contract, by which he shall surrender to others a single…

— Lysander Spooner