The natural progress of things... (Quotation)
"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild,[1] and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, Paris, 27 May 1788[2]
Note: This sentence is sometimes mis-quoted as, "The natural progress of things is for the government to gain ground and for liberty to yield."
Footnotes
- ↑ This is Thomas Jefferson's original spelling.
- ↑ PTJ, 13:208-9. Letterpress copy at the Library of Congress.
Further Sources
- Coates, Eyler Robert. The Jefferson FAQ. A discussion of the misquotation noted above and why it alters the meaning of the actual quotation.
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