Quote by Thomas Jefferson
One half of our brethren who fight and pay taxes, are excluded, like Helots, from the rights of representation, as if society were instituted for the soil, and not for the men inhabiting it; or one half of these could dispose of the rights and the will of the other half, without their consent.
Summary
This quote highlights the frustration of the author towards a system where only a portion of the population, particularly those who fight in wars and pay taxes, are granted the right to representation. The author compares this exclusion to the Helots, a group of ancient Spartan slaves, suggesting that the lack of representation runs contrary to the purpose of society. Furthermore, the quote questions the imbalance of power where one group can decide the fate and actions of another group without their consent.
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