James Madison, speech in the Virginia Constitutional Convention, 2 December 1829, as quoted in The Writings of James Madison: 1819-1836 (1910), ed. Galliard Hunt, p. 361

[P]ower, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

— James Madison on Power

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[P]ower, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse." in the context of "James Madison, speech in the Virginia Constitutional Convention, 2 December 1829, as quoted in The Writings of James Madison: 1819-1836 (1910), ed. Galliard Hunt, p. 361" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Power" (M) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
James Madison

About James Madison

James Madison Jr. (16 March 1751 – 28 June 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.