“But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain—€”that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.”

obviously true, yet it’s the worst sort of blasphemy to many. today, most US residents scoff openly at the idea of mutual liberty, calling it dangerous and in need of supervision, while the unchecked monopoly of government, regardless of its overwhelming, habitual disasters, suffers at most a “tsk tsk. we must do better.” the sedition act, an egregious, overt violation of the first amendment was enacted by congress in 1798. learned hand explained how this could have happened.