--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our political and constitutional rights…" description: "\"Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of huma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg" --- # Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are… ![“Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance.” quote by Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg) > “Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance.” [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that what we call political and constitutional rights are actually human‑crafted mechanisms that implement natural, inherent rights. **In simple terms:** Rights are human inventions that protect natural human rights. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of institutions in safeguarding freedom. Themes politics law human rights philosophy Mood reflective optimistic Type theoretical inspirational When to use this quote - constitutional drafting - civil rights activism - legal education - policy reform Key Concepts Natural law social contract institutional design Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards ensure institutions truly protect natural rights? - How can we improve the design of rights‑protecting systems? A Different Perspective Institutions can fail or be biased, limiting the protection of those natural rights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitutional rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [I believe we should work to end all racism in American society and staunchly defend the inherent rights of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-we-should-work-to-end-all-racism-in-american-society-and/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I think the right to read, is one of our inherent rights, and I think that people in America today are intelligent enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/i-think-the-right-to-read-is-one-of-our-inherent-rights-and-i-think/) [Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/) > [Human beings did not have rights. Human beings created, from nothing, the domain of human rights. They called it up. They languaged it. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-erhard/human-beings-did-not-have-rights-human-beings-created-from-nothing/) [Werner Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-erhard/) > [That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-sweeney-2/that-all-men-are-by-nature-equally-free-and-independent-and-have/) John J Sweeney > [All men are created equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/all-men-are-created-equally-free-and-independent-and-have-certain/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [“Inherent rights are from God, and the tragedies of the world originate in their attempted denial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gamaliel-harding/inherent-rights-are-from-god-and-the-tragedies-of-the-world-originate/) Warren Gamaliel Harding > [I believe we should work to end all racism in American society and staunchly defend the inherent rights of every person. I have clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-we-should-work-to-end-all-racism-in-american-society-and-2/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [That instability is inherent in the nature of popular governments, I think very disputable … A representative democracy, where the right of election is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/that-instability-is-inherent-in-the-nature-of-popular-governments-i/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [ It didn't really change my opinion about \[Edward\] Snowden all that much, but I definitely feel like as a culture, it gave us information… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/it-didn-t-really-change-my-opinion-about-edward-snowden-all-that-much/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [You hear about constitutional rights, free speech and the free press. Every time I hear these words I say to myself, 'That man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-hague/you-hear-about-constitutional-rights-free-speech-and-the-free-press/) Frank Hague > [To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-take-a-single-step-beyond-the-boundaries-specially-drawn-around/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Civil libertarians have raised concerns that some of the Patriot Act's provisions infringe on Constitutional rights. Those concerns are not supported by the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-wicker/civil-libertarians-have-raised-concerns-that-some-of-the-patriot-act/) [Roger Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-wicker/) > [President Bush has asserted the right to wiretap and eavesdrop on any American without a warrant in the name of fighting terrorism. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/president-bush-has-asserted-the-right-to-wiretap-and-eavesdrop-on-any/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [I went to Ferguson and walked with the demonstrators and saw this heavily armed police force, tactical units pointing sniper rifles at my constituents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lacy-clay-jr/i-went-to-ferguson-and-walked-with-the-demonstrators-and-saw-this/) [William Lacy Clay, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lacy-clay-jr/) > [I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/i-think-that-as-americans-we-should-never-forget-that-when-we-tamper/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) ## More by Gerrit Smith > [The only ground on which a neutral State can claim respect at the hands of belligerents is, that, so far as she is concerned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/the-only-ground-on-which-a-neutral-state-can-claim-respect-at-the/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [God cannot approve of a system of servitude, in which the master is guilty of assuming absolute power - of assuming God's place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/god-cannot-approve-of-a-system-of-servitude-in-which-the-master-is/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [It is manifestly vital to the success of the anti-slavery cause, that the authority and influence of proslavery, especially of slaveholding, ministers should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/it-is-manifestly-vital-to-the-success-of-the-anti-slavery-cause-that/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [True liberty acknowledges and defends the equal rights of all men, and all nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/true-liberty-acknowledges-and-defends-the-equal-rights-of-all-men-and/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [It, sometimes, suits the slaveholders to claim, that their slavery is an exclusively State concern; and that the North has, therefore, nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/it-sometimes-suits-the-slaveholders-to-claim-that-their-slavery-is-an/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [To no human charter am I indebted for my rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/to-no-human-charter-am-i-indebted-for-my-rights/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [I welcomed the organization of the Anti-slavery Society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/i-welcomed-the-organization-of-the-anti-slavery-society/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [When a good man lends himself to the advocacy of slavery, he must, at least for a time, feel himself to be any where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/when-a-good-man-lends-himself-to-the-advocacy-of-slavery-he-must-at/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [My rights all spring front an infinitely nobler source - from favor and grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/my-rights-all-spring-front-an-infinitely-nobler-source-from-favor-and/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [I need say no more, to prove that slavery is entirely unlike the servitude in the patriarchal families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/i-need-say-no-more-to-prove-that-slavery-is-entirely-unlike-the/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [I trust, that your readers will not construe my words to mean, that I would not have gone to a 3 o'clock in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/i-trust-that-your-readers-will-not-construe-my-words-to-mean-that-i/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [I prefer, in a word, the republican system, because it comes up more nearly to God's system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/i-prefer-in-a-word-the-republican-system-because-it-comes-up-more/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [Our concern, however, is with slavery as it is, and not with any theory of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/our-concern-however-is-with-slavery-as-it-is-and-not-with-any-theory/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [We must continue to judge of slavery by what it is, and not by what you tell us it will, or may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/we-must-continue-to-judge-of-slavery-by-what-it-is-and-not-by-what/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [But, although America cannot be justly charged with violating the rights of Turkey, Turkey nevertheless can be justly charged with violating the rights of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/but-although-america-cannot-be-justly-charged-with-violating-the/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) [Explore all 33 Gerrit Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) ## More Constitutional rights quotes > [I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/i-think-that-as-americans-we-should-never-forget-that-when-we-tamper/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [I went to Ferguson and walked with the demonstrators and saw this heavily armed police force, tactical units pointing sniper rifles at my constituents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lacy-clay-jr/i-went-to-ferguson-and-walked-with-the-demonstrators-and-saw-this/) [William Lacy Clay, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lacy-clay-jr/) > [President Bush has asserted the right to wiretap and eavesdrop on any American without a warrant in the name of fighting terrorism. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/president-bush-has-asserted-the-right-to-wiretap-and-eavesdrop-on-any/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [Civil libertarians have raised concerns that some of the Patriot Act's provisions infringe on Constitutional rights. Those concerns are not supported by the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-wicker/civil-libertarians-have-raised-concerns-that-some-of-the-patriot-act/) [Roger Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-wicker/) > [To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-take-a-single-step-beyond-the-boundaries-specially-drawn-around/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [You hear about constitutional rights, free speech and the free press. Every time I hear these words I say to myself, 'That man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-hague/you-hear-about-constitutional-rights-free-speech-and-the-free-press/) Frank Hague > [ It didn't really change my opinion about \[Edward\] Snowden all that much, but I definitely feel like as a culture, it gave us information… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/it-didn-t-really-change-my-opinion-about-edward-snowden-all-that-much/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macgregor-burns/ambition-must-be-made-to-counteract-ambition-the-interest-of-the-man/) [James MacGregor Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macgregor-burns/) > [Censorship does not interfere with the constitutional rights of every American to sit alone in a dark room in the nude and cuss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/censorship-does-not-interfere-with-the-constitutional-rights-of-every/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [Voting rights are constitutional rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ossoff/voting-rights-are-constitutional-rights/) [Jon Ossoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ossoff/) > [When we use the term pig, for example, we are referring to the people who systematically violate the peoples' constitutional rights - whether they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-seale/when-we-use-the-term-pig-for-example-we-are-referring-to-the-people/) [Bobby Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-seale/) > [People who want to come to this country don't have constitutional rights. Once they get here, they do. But coming here is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/people-who-want-to-come-to-this-country-don-t-have-constitutional/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The Democrats have made no secret of wanting to unilaterally infringe upon the Constitutional rights of the American people to keep and bear arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/the-democrats-have-made-no-secret-of-wanting-to-unilaterally-infringe/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [“A constitution is not a thing in name only, but in fact. It has not an ideal, but a real existence; and wherever it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/a-constitution-is-not-a-thing-in-name-only-but-in-fact-it-has-not-an/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What makes America great is peaceful protests and exercising your constitutional rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-dowd/what-makes-america-great-is-peaceful-protests-and-exercising-your/) [Matthew Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-dowd/) [Browse all 139 Constitutional rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gerrit Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/our-political-and-constitutional-rights-so-called-are-but-the-natural/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constitutional rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/our-political-and-constitutional-rights-so-called-are-but-the-natural/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/gerrit-smith-18986_constitutional-right_our-political-and-constitutional-rights_2128229.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man…” — Gerrit Smith", "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": "Gerrit Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our political and constitutional rights, so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/our-political-and-constitutional-rights-so-called-are-but-the-natural/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/our-political-and-constitutional-rights-so-called-are-but-the-natural/#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 } } ] } ```