John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
John Caldwell Calhoun 1782-1850 John Bartlett
| 1 |
| The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, 1 bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party. |
| Speech, Feb. 13, 1835. |
| 2 |
| A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks. 2 |
| Speech, May 27, 1836. |
| Note 1. See Appendix, Quotation 45. [back] |
| Note 2. From this comes the phrase, “Cohesive power of public plunder.” [back] |