Suffrage and Majority Rule: Thoughts by James Madison, 1829.
The essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.
For decades, Athens had been afflicted with tumultuous conflict between aristocratic factions who fighting for the privileges bestowed by power. Finally, maximumly fatigued, in 509 B.C.E., the common people, led by Cleisthenes, overthrew the warring factions and replaced them with the world's first known democracy. Upon studying the subject, it's fair to say that Athenian democracy came with a promise: a promise of peace, justice, and equality.
This was an overpromise. Athenian democracy was also tumultuous, unjust, and unequal in application. Moreover, it introduced the world to a new kind of tyranny: majority rule.
Intimately aware of the threat inherent in majority rule, James Madison put much thought into ameliorating the danger through governmental structure, checks and balances, enumerated powers, and the Bill of Rights.
Perfection in government, however, is not to be expected. Despite Madison's intentions, problems, both philosophical and real, assailed the American "compound constitutional republic" as Madison described it. Consequently, Madison constantly wrote and corresponded with people about several items relevant to the Federal government.
This is one such excerpt.
August Glen-James, editor
Madison:
"The essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse. In monarchies, the interests and happiness of all may be sacrificed to the caprice and passions of a despot. In aristocracies, the rights and welfare of the many may be sacrificed to the pride and cupidity of the few. In republics, the great danger is, that the majority may not sufficiently respect the rights of the minority.
“Some gentlemen, consulting the purity and generosity of their own minds, without adverting to the lessons of experience, would find a security against that danger, in our social feelings; in a respect for character; in the dictates of the monitor within; in the interests of individuals; in the aggregate interests of the community. But man is known to be a selfish, as well as a social being. Respect for character, though often a salutary restraint, is but too often overruled by other motives. When numbers of men act in a body, respect for character is often lost, just in proportion as it is necessary to control what is not right.
“We all know that conscience is not a sufficient safe-guard; and besides, that conscience itself may be deluded; may be misled, by an unconscious bias, into acts which an enlightened conscience would forbid.
“As to the permanent interests of individuals in the aggregate interests of the community, and in the proverbial maxim, that honesty is the best policy, present temptation is often found to be an overmatch for those considerations. These favorable attributes of the human character are all valuable, as auxiliaries; but they will not serve as a substitute for the coercive provision belonging to Government and Law. They will always, in proportion as they prevail, be favorable to a mild administration of both: but they can never be relied on as a guaranty of the rights of the minority against a majority disposed to take unjust advantage of its power. The only effectual safeguard to the rights of the minority, must be laid in such a basis and structure of the Government itself, as may afford, in a certain degree, directly or indirectly, a defensive authority in behalf of a minority having right on its side.”
Ketcham, Ralph, ed. Selected Writings of James Madison. Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis, 2006.