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JEFFERSON'S WARNINGS
In 1789 Thomas Jefferson warned that the judiciary if given too much power might ruin our
REPUBLIC, and destroy our RIGHTS!
"The new Constitution has secured these [individual rights] in the Executive and
Legislative departments: but not in the Judiciary. It should have established trials by
the people themselves, that is to say, by jury."
The Judiciary of the United States is the subtle corps of sappers and miners constantly
working under ground to undermine the foundations of our confederated fabric." (1820)
"…the Federal Judiciary; an irresponsible body (for impeachment is scarcely a
scarecrow), working like gravity by night and by day, gaining a little today and a little
tomorrow, and advancing its noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction,
until all shall be usurped from the States, and the government of all be consolidated into
one….when all government … in little as in great things, shall be drawn to
Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one
government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government
from which we separated. (1821)
"The opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are
constitutional and what not, not only for themselves in their own sphere of action, but
for the legislative and executive also in their spheres, would make the judiciary a
despotic branch.
"…judges should be withdrawn from the bench whose erroneous biases are leading
to dissolution. It may, indeed, injure them in fame or fortune; but it saves the
Republic…"