---
title: "3 Alarms Quotes By James Madison"
description: "3 Alarms quotes by James Madison. Plus more from James Madison and more Alarms sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/james-madison-373_alarms_but-ambitious-encroachments-of-the-feder_1415357.jpg"
---

> [But ambitious encroachments of the federal government, on the authority of the State governments, would not excite the opposition of a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/but-ambitious-encroachments-of-the-federal-government-on-the/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/james-madison-373_alarms_but-ambitious-encroachments-of-the-feder_1415357.jpg)

> [It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-proper-to-take-alarm-at-the-first-experiment-on-our-liberties-2/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/james-madison-373_alarms_it-is-proper-to-take-alarm-at-the-first_1568889.jpg)

> [May it not be asked of every intelligent friend to the liberties of his country, whether the power exercised in such an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/may-it-not-be-asked-of-every-intelligent-friend-to-the-liberties-of/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/james-madison-373_alarms_may-it-not-be-asked-of-every-intelligent_1784035.png)

## More by James Madison

> [“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/knowledge-will-forever-govern-ignorance-and-a-people-who-mean-to-be/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/rulers-who-wished-to-subvert-the-public-liberty-may-have-found-an/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-powers-delegated-by-the-proposed-constitution-to-the-federal/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/how-could-a-readiness-for-war-in-time-of-peace-be-safely-prohibited/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-accumulation-of-all-powers-legislative-executive-and-judiciary-in/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [ It is certain that every class is interested in \[educational\] establishments which give to the human mind its highest improvements, and to every Country… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-certain-that-every-class-is-interested-in-educational/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [Since it is impossible for the people spontaneously and universally, to move in concert towards their object; and it is therefore essential, that such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/since-it-is-impossible-for-the-people-spontaneously-and-universally/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The definition of the right of suffrage is very justly regarded as a fundamental article of republican government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-definition-of-the-right-of-suffrage-is-very-justly-regarded-as-a/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-future-and-success-of-america-is-not-in-this-constitution-but-in/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [They can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/they-can-make-no-law-which-will-not-have-its-full-operation-on/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The effect of a representative democracy is to refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-effect-of-a-representative-democracy-is-to-refine-and-enlarge-the/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [“... But besides the danger of a direct mixture of Religion & civil Government , there is an evil which ought to be guarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/but-besides-the-danger-of-a-direct-mixture-of-religion-civil/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [Although all men are born free, slavery has been the general lot of the human race. Ignorant--they have been cheated; asleep--they have been surprised;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/although-all-men-are-born-free-slavery-has-been-the-general-lot-of/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [“It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-may-be-a-reflection-on-human-nature-that-such-devices-should-be/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The better proof of reverence for that holy name would be not to profane it by making it a topic of legislative discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-better-proof-of-reverence-for-that-holy-name-would-be-not-to/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

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                        "text": "May it not be asked of every intelligent friend to the liberties of his country, whether the power exercised in such an act as this ought not to produce great and universal alarm? Whether a rigid execution of such an act, in time past, would not have repressed that information and communication among the people which is indispensable to the just exercise of their electoral rights? And whether such an act, if made perpetual, and enforced with rigor, would not, in time to come, either destroy our free system of government, or prepare a convulsion that might prove equally fatal to it?",
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