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Law, Politics, and Military
"Now, then, in order to act well our part, as
citizens, or members of the community, we ought clearly to understand what
our rights are; for, on our enjoyment of these depend our duties, rights
going before duties, as value received goes before payment. I know well, that
just the contrary of this is taught in our political schools, where we are told,
that our first duty is to obey the laws; and it is not many years
ago, that Horsley, Bishop of Rochester, told us, that the people had
nothing to do with the laws but to obey them. The truth is, however,
that the citizen’s first duty is to maintain his rights, as it is the
purchaser’s first duty to receive the thing for which he has contracted."
-- William Cobbett, 1829
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