Constitution Quote by Albert Gallatin
“The whole of the Bill is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.”
About This Quote
Source Document: The Bill of Rights, 1789
The passage asserts that individuals possess inherent, untransferable rights that majority rule cannot override.
In simple terms: People have rights that cannot be taken away.
Key Takeaway
Protect individual liberties against majority oppression.
Themes
rights
individualism
law
democracy
Mood
serious
concerned
Type
legal
political
foundational
When to use this quote
- legislation drafting
- civil rights activism
- judicial review
Key Concepts
political theory
civil liberties
Questions to Reflect On
- What rights are most threatened today?
- How can societies safeguard unalienable rights?
A Different Perspective
Balancing majority will with minority rights is complex.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
