Quote by Thomas Jefferson
Were our State a pure democracy, in which all its inhabitants should meet together to transact all their business, there would yet be excluded from their deliberations, 1. infants, until arrived at years of discretion. 2. Women, who, to prevent depravation of morals and ambiguity of issue, could not mix promiscuously in the public meetings of men. 3. Slaves, from whom the unfortunate state of things with us takes away the right of will and of property. Those then who have no will could be permitted to exercise none in the popular assembly; and of course, could delegate none to an agent in a representative assembly. The business, in the first case, would be done by qualified citizens only.
Summary
This quote explains the exclusion of certain groups from participating in the democratic processes of the state. The author argues that in a pure democracy, infants, women, and slaves would be excluded from deliberations for various reasons. Infants, due to their lack of maturity and understanding, would not be allowed to participate. Women, to avoid moral corruption and confusion regarding parentage, would be excluded. Slaves, being deprived of their rights and ownership, would also be excluded. The author emphasizes that in a pure democracy, only qualified citizens who possess the will to participate would be allowed to engage in decision-making processes.
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