I just read something really good, it stopped me. I should read more!
With Americans, whenever the organized government does not prove its grant, the liberty of the individual citizen is sacred and inviolable. Elsewhere there are governments called republics; universal suffrage constitutes the state; but, once constituted, the state is tyrannous and arbitrary, invades at will private rights, and curtails at will individual liberty. One republic is liberty's native home--America.
Taken from The Duty and Value of Patriotism--John Ireland
This is part of one of many readings in a publication called America First, it is a compilation of speeches, poems, psalms and all sorts of things. It's available free as a pdf download. I'm enjoying it and putting myself in the spirit of the fourth!.
Happy Fourth of July