--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [T]he great decided effective Majority is…" description: "\"“[T]he great decided effective Majority is now for the Republic,\" he told Jefferson in late October 1792, but whether it would endure for even six mont..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg" --- # \[T\]he great decided effective Majority is now for the… ![“[T]he great decided effective Majority is now for the Republic," he told Jefferson in late October 1792, but whether it would endure for even six months "must depend on the Form of Government which shall be presented by the Convention" and whether it could "strike out that happy Mean which secures…” quote by Melanie Randolph Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg) > ““\[T\]he great decided effective Majority is now for the Republic," he told Jefferson in late October 1792, but whether it would endure for even six months "must depend on the Form of Government which shall be presented by the Convention" and whether it could "strike out that happy Mean which secures all the Liberty which Circumstances will admit of combin'd with all the Energy which the same Circumstances require; Whether they can establish an Authority which does not exist, as a Substitute (and always a dangerous Substitute) for that Respect which cannot be restor'd after so much has been to destroy it; Whether in crying down and even ridiculing Religion they will be able on the tottering and uncertain Base of metaphisic Philosophy to establish a solid Edifice of morals, these are Questions which Time must solve." At the same time he predicted to Rufus King that "we shall have I think some sharp struggles which will make many men repent of what they have done when they find with Macbeth that they have but taught bloody Instructions which return to plague the Inventor." . . . In early December, he wrote perhaps his most eloquent appraisal of the tragic turn of the \[French\] Revolution, to Thomas Pinckney. "Success as you will see, continues to crown the French Arms, but it is not our Trade to judge from Success," he began. "You will soon learn that the Patriots hitherto adored were but little worthy of the Incense they received. The Enemies of those who now reign treat them as they did their Predecessors and as their Successors will be treated. Since I have been in this Country, I have seen the Worship of many Idols and but little \[illegible\] of the true God. I have seen many of those Idols broken, and some of them beaten to Dust. I have seen the late Constitution in one short Year admired as a stupendous Monument of human Wisdom and ridiculed as an egregious Production of Folly and Vice. I wish much, very much, the Happiness of this inconstant People. I love them. I feel grateful for their Efforts in our Cause and I consider the Establishment of a good Constitution here as the principal Means, under divine Providence, of extending the blessings of Freedom to the many millions of my fellow Men who groan in Bondage on the Continent of Europe. But I do not greatly indulge the flattering Illusions of Hope, because I do not yet perceive that Reformation of Morals without which Liberty is but an empty Sound." . . . \[H\]e believed religion was "the only solid Base of Morals and that Morals are the only possible Support of free governments." He described the movement as a "new Religion" whose Votaries have the Superstition of not being superstitious. They have with this as much Zeal as any other Sect and are as ready to lay Waste the World in order to make Proselytes.”” [Melanie Randolph Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-randolph-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Majority rule depends on government form; authority must be legitimate, not a dangerous substitute. **In simple terms:** Government shape shapes legitimacy of majority. Key Takeaway Ensure governance supports legitimate authority. Themes Politics Authority Legitimacy Government History Mood critical historical Type Divine providence:0 French revolution:0 Human wisdom:0 Philosophy:0 Religion:0 Six months:0 True god:0 Rufus King:0 Man Wisdom:0 Good Constitution:0 Told Jefferson:0 October 1792:0 Morals Liberty:0 Majority Republic:0 When to use this quote - elections - policy making - civic education Key Concepts Political theory Constitutional law Power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent authority abuse? - How does government form affect majority rule? A Different Perspective Power can be misused under false authority. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Divine providence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-providence/) [French revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french-revolution/) [Good Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-constitution-747053/) [Human wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-wisdom/) [Majority Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-republic-4316346/) [Man Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-wisdom/) [Morals Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals-liberty-4316345/) [October 1792](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/october-1792-4316344/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Rufus King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rufus-king-220109/) [Six months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six-months/) [Told Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-jefferson-4316343/) [True god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-god/) ## Related quotes > [“There was a good Constitution in America, and he had read it carefully. 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/honor-justice-and-humanity-call-upon-us-to-hold-and-to-transmit-to/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/trust-thyself-every-heart-vibrates-to-that-iron-string-accept-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I firmly believe in Divine Providence. Without belief in Providence I think I should go crazy. 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Eccles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-eccles/) [Browse all 81 Divine providence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-providence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[T]he great decided effective Majority is now for the Republic,\" he told Jefferson in late October 1792, but whether it would endure for even six months \"must depend on the Form of Government which shall be presented by the Convention\" and whether it could \"strike out that happy Mean which secures all the Liberty which Circumstances will admit of combin'd with all the Energy which the same Circumstances require; Whether they can establish an Authority which does not exist, as a Substitute (and always a dangerous Substitute) for that Respect which cannot be restor'd after so much has been to destroy it; Whether in crying down and even ridiculing Religion they will be able on the tottering and uncertain Base of metaphisic Philosophy to establish a solid Edifice of morals, these are Questions which Time must solve.\" At the same time he predicted to Rufus King that \"we shall have I think some sharp struggles which will make many men repent of what they have done when they find with Macbeth that they have but taught bloody Instructions which return to plague the Inventor.\" . . . In early December, he wrote perhaps his most eloquent appraisal of the tragic turn of the [French] Revolution, to Thomas Pinckney. \"Success as you will see, continues to crown the French Arms, but it is not our Trade to judge from Success,\" he began. \"You will soon learn that the Patriots hitherto adored were but little worthy of the Incense they received. The Enemies of those who now reign treat them as they did their Predecessors and as their Successors will be treated. Since I have been in this Country, I have seen the Worship of many Idols and but little [illegible] of the true God. I have seen many of those Idols broken, and some of them beaten to Dust. I have seen the late Constitution in one short Year admired as a stupendous Monument of human Wisdom and ridiculed as an egregious Production of Folly and Vice. I wish much, very much, the Happiness of this inconstant People. I love them. I feel grateful for their Efforts in our Cause and I consider the Establishment of a good Constitution here as the principal Means, under divine Providence, of extending the blessings of Freedom to the many millions of my fellow Men who groan in Bondage on the Continent of Europe. But I do not greatly indulge the flattering Illusions of Hope, because I do not yet perceive that Reformation of Morals without which Liberty is but an empty Sound.\" . . . [H]e believed religion was \"the only solid Base of Morals and that Morals are the only possible Support of free governments.\" He described the movement as a \"new Religion\" whose Votaries have the Superstition of not being superstitious. They have with this as much Zeal as any other Sect and are as ready to lay Waste the World in order to make Proselytes.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Melanie Randolph Miller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-randolph-miller/t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is-now-for-the-republic-he-told/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Divine providence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-randolph-miller/t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is-now-for-the-republic-he-told/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/melanie-randolph-miller-190458_divine-providence_t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is_1307754.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[T]he great decided effective Majority is now for the Republic,\" he told Jefferson in late October 1792, but…” — Melanie Randolph Miller", "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": "Melanie Randolph Miller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-randolph-miller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“[T]he great decided effective Majority is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-randolph-miller/t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is-now-for-the-republic-he-told/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-randolph-miller/t-he-great-decided-effective-majority-is-now-for-the-republic-he-told/#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 } } ] } ```