The Federalist #10

"Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority (James Madison)."


James Madison explains that many respectable citizens, with good moral values, had been complaining about the unfairness and instability of their own governments. A large part of the problem was due to the conflicts between rival parties who quite often ignored public interests.  These rival parties had been placing their own personal interests in front of their own citizens. In addition, the government had allowed the "majority" to overrule the "minority" through factions and encroachments (Madison). This was a violation of rights and rules of justice towards the minority (Madison).


I chose this quote because I can appreciate Madison's thoughts and concerns about the imbalance of power, and lack of governmental support towards public interest. He seemed to have advocated well for the respectable citizens and minority branches. It's a shame that their rights were being violated through the conflicts of rival parties.  However, It's good to know that there was someone standing up for our equality back in the late 1700's.  James Madison, a true man of equilibrium.