Supreme C d - ourt of the United States

The Framers of the Constitu- tion wrote and spoke at length about the danger to de- mocracies posed by majorities who, inflamed by the passions of the day, might “occasion dangerous inno- vations in the government.” Federalist No. [...] To ensure the long-term safety of their demo- cratic experiment, the system the Framers of the Con- stitution designed places numerous checks on majority rule, including qualifications for the Presidency. [...] “Although in political democracy the rule of the ma- jority is necessary, the American system of democracy is based upon the recognition of the imperative neces- sity of limitations upon the will of the majority.” Lath- rop v. [...] It is impossible to read the his- tory of the petty republics of Greece and Italy without feeling sensations of horror and dis- gust at the distractions with which they were continually agitated, and at the rapid succes- sion of revolutions by which they were kept in a state of perpetual vibration between the ex- tremes of tyranny and anarchy. [...] known to have scoffed in private at the 10 principles of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity — to join in the cry of danger to liberty — to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion — to flatter and fall in with all the non sense [sic] of the zealots of the day — It may justly be sus- pected that his object is t.