--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may be laid down as a primary…" description: "\"It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not onl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg" --- # It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis… ![“It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it.” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg) > “It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it.” [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens must contribute both property and personal service to defend a free government. **In simple terms:** Citizens owe service and resources to protect liberty. Key Takeaway Engage actively in civic duties. Themes civic duty taxation defense Mood serious patriotic Type political educational When to use this quote - voting - military service - tax contributions - community volunteering Key Concepts political theory social contract citizenship Questions to Reflect On - How much should individuals sacrifice for freedom? - What forms of service are most effective? A Different Perspective Balancing personal burden with collective benefit is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basis Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basis-citizen-4346261/) [Defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense/) [Free government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Owes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-owes-255281/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Primary Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primary-position-4346262/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Property Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property-personal-4346263/) [Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) ## Related quotes > [It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-position-and-the-basis-of-our-system-2/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [In civilized communities, property as well as personal rights is an essential object of the laws, which encourage industry by securing the enjoyment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/in-civilized-communities-property-as-well-as-personal-rights-is-an/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The protection the government owes you and fails to provide, you are morally bound to provide for yourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/the-protection-the-government-owes-you-and-fails-to-provide-you-are/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [Government owes its birth to the necessity of preventing and repressing the injuries which the associated individuals had to fear from one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-thomas-francois-raynal/government-owes-its-birth-to-the-necessity-of-preventing-and/) [Guillaume Thomas Francois Raynal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-thomas-francois-raynal/) > [State government owes it to every taxpayer to be as fiscally responsible as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-justice/state-government-owes-it-to-every-taxpayer-to-be-as-fiscally/) [Jim Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-justice/) > [In the inner city, there's a mentality that the government owes you something. My breakthrough came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/in-the-inner-city-there-s-a-mentality-that-the-government-owes-you/) [Mary J. 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Representation is imperfect, in proportion as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-true-principle-of-a-republic-is-that-the-people-should-choose/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > ['Tis substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/tis-substantially-true-that-virtue-or-morality-is-a-necessary-spring/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-foundations-of-our-national-policy-will-be-laid-in-the-pure-and/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/without-morals-a-republic-cannot-subsist-any-length-of-time-they/) [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by George Washington > [It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-absolutely-necessary-for-me-to-have-persons-that-can-think-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. 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Do not ever let anyone claim to be a true American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-impossible-to-rightly-govern-the-world-without-god-and-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor. It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/lenity-will-operate-with-greater-force-in-some-instances-than-rigor/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Explore all 801 George Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) ## More Defense quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [My last defense / Is the present tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/my-last-defense-is-the-present-tense/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [Football is not just all about throwing the ball. You got to run the ball, too. Defense has to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-jefferson/football-is-not-just-all-about-throwing-the-ball-you-got-to-run-the/) [Justin Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-jefferson/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/witness-for-the-defense-albus-percival-wulfric-brian-dumbledore/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You say I have a bad attitude. But have you ever stopped to check yours?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-marie/you-say-i-have-a-bad-attitude-but-have-you-ever-stopped-to-check-yours/) [Tasha Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasha-marie/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-well-informed-citizenry-is-the-best-defense-against-tyranny/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [He should release the tax returns tomorrow. It's crazy. You've got to release six, eight, ten years back tax returns. 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It's an execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-shoot-someone-who-is-fleeing-it-s-not-self-defense-it-s-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) [Browse all 2,426 Defense quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Washington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-position-and-the-basis-of-our-system/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defense" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-position-and-the-basis-of-our-system/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/953/george-washington-257_defense_it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-positio_513578.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the…” — George Washington", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Washington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It may be laid down as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-position-and-the-basis-of-our-system/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-may-be-laid-down-as-a-primary-position-and-the-basis-of-our-system/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```