Ihavethrownouttheseaslooseheadsofamendment，forconsiderationandcorrection；andtheirobjectistosecureself-governmentbytherepublicanismofourconstitution，aswellasbythespiritofthepeople；andtonourishandperpetuatethatspirit。Iamnotamongthosewhofearthepeople。They，andnottherich，areourdependenceforcontinuedfreedom。Andtopreservetheirindependence，wemustnotletourrulersloaduswithperpetualdebt。Wemustmakeourelectionbetween_economyandliberty_，or_profusionandservitude_。Ifwerunintosuchdebts，asthatwemustbetaxedinourmeatandinourdrink，inournecessariesandourcomforts，inourlaborsandouramusements，forourcallingsandourcreeds，asthepeopleofEnglandare，ourpeople，likethem，mustcometolaborsixteenhoursinthetwenty-four，givetheearningsoffifteenofthesetothegovernmentfortheirdebtsanddailyexpenses；andthesixteenthbeinginsufficienttoaffordusbread，wemustlive，astheynowdo，onoatmealandpotatoes；havenotimetothink，nomeansofcallingthemismanagerstoaccount；butbegladtoobtainsubsistencebyhiringourselvestorivettheirchainsonthenecksofourfellow-sufferers。Ourlandholders，too，liketheirs，retainingindeedthetitleandstewardshipofestatescalledtheirs，butheldreallyintrustforthetreasury，mustwander，liketheirs，inforeigncountries，andbecontentedwithpenury，obscurity，exile，andthegloryofthenation。Thisexamplereadstousthesalutarylesson，thatprivatefortunesaredestroyedbypublicaswellasbyprivateextravagance。Andthisisthetendencyofallhumangovernments。Adeparturefromprincipleinoneinstancebecomesaprecedentforasecond；thatsecondforathird；andsoon，tillthebulkofthesocietyisreducedtobemereautomatonsofmisery，andtohavenosensibilitiesleftbutforsinningandsuffering。Thenbegins，indeed，the_bellumomniuminomnia_，whichsomephilosophersobservingtobesogeneralinthisworld，havemistakenitforthenatural，insteadoftheabusivestateofman。Andtheforehorseofthisfrightfulteamispublicdebt。Taxationfollowsthat，andinitstrainwretchednessandoppression。
Somemenlookatconstitutionswithsanctimoniousreverence，anddeemthemlikethearcofthecovenant，toosacredtobetouched。
Theyascribetothemenoftheprecedingageawisdommorethanhuman，andsupposewhattheydidtobebeyondamendment。Iknewthatagewell；Ibelongedtoit，andlaboredwithit。Itdeservedwellofitscountry。Itwasverylikethepresent，butwithouttheexperienceofthepresent；andfortyyearsofexperienceingovernmentisworthacenturyofbook-reading；andthistheywouldsaythemselves，weretheytorisefromthedead。Iamcertainlynotanadvocateforfrequentanduntriedchangesinlawsandconstitutions。Ithinkmoderateimperfectionshadbetterbebornewith；because，whenonceknown，weaccommodateourselvestothem，andfindpracticalmeansofcorrectingtheirilleffects。ButIknowalso，thatlawsandinstitutionsmustgohandinhandwiththeprogressofthehumanmind。Asthatbecomesmoredeveloped，moreenlightened，asnewdiscoveriesaremade，newtruthsdisclosed，andmannersandopinionschangewiththechangeofcircumstances，institutionsmustadvancealso，andkeeppacewiththetimes。Wemightaswellrequireamantowearstillthecoatwhichfittedhimwhenaboy，ascivilizedsocietytoremaineverundertheregimenoftheirbarbarousancestors。ItisthispreposterousideawhichhaslatelydelugedEuropeinblood。Theirmonarchs，insteadofwiselyyieldingtothegradualchangeofcircumstances，offavoringprogressiveaccommodationtoprogressiveimprovement，haveclungtooldabuses，entrenchedthemselvesbehindsteadyhabits，andobligedtheirsubjectstoseekthroughbloodandviolencerashandruinousinnovations，which，hadtheybeenreferredtothepeacefuldeliberationsandcollectedwisdomofthenation，wouldhavebeenputintoacceptableandsalutaryforms。Letusfollownosuchexamples，norweaklybelievethatonegenerationisnotascapableasanotheroftakingcareofitself，andoforderingitsownaffairs。Letus，asoursisterStateshavedone，availourselvesofourreasonandexperience，tocorrectthecrudeessaysofourfirstandunexperienced，althoughwise，virtuous，andwell-meaningcouncils。
Andlastly，letusprovideinourconstitutionforitsrevisionatstatedperiods。Whattheseperiodsshouldbe，natureherselfindicates。BytheEuropeantablesofmortality，oftheadultslivingatanyonemomentoftime，amajoritywillbedeadinaboutnineteenyears。Attheendofthatperiod，then，anewmajorityiscomeintoplace；or，inotherwords，anewgeneration。Eachgenerationisasindependentastheonepreceding，asthatwasofallwhichhadgonebefore。Ithasthen，likethem，arighttochooseforitselftheformofgovernmentitbelievesmostpromotiveofitsownhappiness；
consequently，toaccommodatetothecircumstancesinwhichitfindsitself，thatreceivedfromitspredecessors；anditisforthepeaceandgoodofmankind，thatasolemnopportunityofdoingthiseverynineteenortwentyyears，shouldbeprovidedbytheconstitution；sothatitmaybehandedon，withperiodicalrepairs，fromgenerationtogeneration，totheendoftime，ifanythinghumancansolongendure。