Benjamin H. Hill Quote

“I have said I do not dread industrial corporations as instruments of power to destroy this country, because there are a thousand agencies which can regulate, restrain and control them; but there is a corporation we may all dread. That corporation is the federal government. From the aggressions of this corporation, there can be no safety, if it is allowed to go beyond the well defined limits of its powers. I dread nothing so much as the exercise of ungranted and doubtful powers by the government. It is, in my opinion, the danger of dangers to the future of this country. Let us be sure to keep it always within its limits. If this great, ambitious, ever growing corporation becomes oppressive, who shall check it? If it becomes too wayward who shall control it? If it becomes unjust, who shall trust it? As sentinels of the country’s watchtower, Senators, I beseech you to watch and guard with sleepless dread, that corporation which can make all property and rights, all states and people, all liberty and hope its plaything in an hour, and its victims forever.”

~ Benjamin H. Hill

before the U.S. Senate, March 27, 1878.

Ratings and Comments


Kimo, USA
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Kimo, USA    12/8/11

Brave men kept the fed in its place, for many years, failing once in awhile, but always managing to keep the country pretty free. the situation we are in now, is beyond words.[for me] There are some who post here that can do a better job.

Mike, Norwalk

WOW, the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land fulfills Senator Hill's worst nightmare. And now, with the Patriot Act's definition of terrorism, U.S. concentration (FEMA) camps seeking employees to train to hold dissident Americans, and the Senate, by statute, declaring open war on We The People has mandated a once free people, victims forever.

jim k, Austin, Tx

" Government, even in it's best state, is but a necessary evil, in it's worse state, an intolerable one." Thomas Paine

E Archer, NYC

SO true. I have heard arguments about how US government has been 'corporatized' where in fact the common law republican government formed by the Constitution has been replaced with commercial corporations. For example, the United States of America is the republic, and the 'United States' is a corporation. New York State is now 'The State of New York' and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is now 'The State of Massachusetts.' It is ironic that the Occupy Wall Street crowd is in fact PRO-corporatism as their demands are that the US government become the ultimate corporation. Of course, the borrower is the servant of the lender, so that makes the private central bank the ultimate corporation and governments around the world are filled with shills for the bankers.

Howard, Harbor City

On February 21, 1871 Congress passed "An Act to Provide a Government for the District of Columbia" also known as the "Act of 1871" & "THE UNITED STATES" became a corporation. Go to http://www.serendipity.li/jsmill/us_corporation.htm to read & learn.

N. Miller, Orlando, FL

It is "its powers", "its limits", "its plaything", and "its victims", not "it's"! Pay attention, people! Have someone who knows English review your quotes before you publish them!

Editor, Liberty Quotes

Thanks, N. Miller. The correction has been made.

Roland, Bonner's Ferry

Its own government is America's only existential threat.

John Shuttleworth, New York City

The speaker presents an argument which has a major flaw: From whence comes those agencies which controls private commerce (corporations) ? In addition he assumes, without considering the measure of his own voice, he speaks from a platform which contains many other voices that form the dreaded amalgam he calls "government". What he fears is that phenomenon of moral consensus which a nation contains. Or, more explicitly, he may not be able to do what he wants. Therein he screams oppression.

Mary - MI
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Mary - MI    9/7/17

Benjamin Hill gave a tremendous warning on the growth and vile circumstance of a growing and out of control federal corporate government that usurps, violates and breaches the clear limits and defined boundaries of the U.S. Constitution.

Freedom, Freedomville

Here is a man who had already seen the unbridled growth of the federal power. After all, it was Washington himself who took up arms to rob and farmers engaged in free trade and targeted by the federal government to rob them by any force necessary. The Whiskey Rebellion was anything but rebellion but merely peaceful people engaged in fair trade resisting government overstepping its authority.

E Archer, NYC

John has a point. The thousand alphabet agencies created by the central government cannot be reigned in from imposing regulations (i.e. ruling) arbitrarily with little to no oversight. Follow the money stream and the real bosses turn out to be not the government. He who has the gold makes the rules -- a debtor nation is therefore a ruled nation. And it is done via all the agencies. The last dozen presidents were figureheads chosen by the globalist 'agencies' that make the rules. Trump was not their pick. And as we can see, the game has been fixed for a long time -- the right and the left are of the same fraternity, they both serve the real rulers, the ones that funnel them money and power.

Reform must come from within. These alphabet agencies are dug in tight, nothing short of rooting them out altogether may be required. Either the hearts and minds of those in government will return to America and we see a real 'transformation' or they will have to be rooted out. Trump is going to need a LOT of allies inside.

mrbogobeans, Albany,NY

It can be accomplished, this task of putting the Genie back in the bottle. By People of good conscience and strong fortitude.

Ronw13, Oregon

No sooner had we begun than we returned as in a circle. Saad Al Melik, Saad Al Sund. Much can be said of the Trump administration ( Era ) and yes, it will need the Grass Roots Patriots of not only America, but around the world in harmony to check the gross usury of Lenders applied to their own children. Envy of your neighbor the banks prey upon, education can free the shackles of ignorance but never replace the backbone to plant, tend and harvest the fruit of ones labor. A level playing field was once had, the yoke of necessity needs no extra burden, for our children once At Liberty to return. Our Creator comes to mind, who is ever mindful of his children's cries for Freedom and Liberty from oppression. " Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." Proverbs 9:6 thru 9

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