06/16/2026
SBAGS Time Machine - we'll be posting some excerpts from our past newsletters. Our intrepid archivist is our board member Terri Hall.
50 Years ago (1976 Fall Edition)
In 1976, America celebrated its 200th birthday. The SBAGS quarterly starts off with a 1777 election sermon from Samuel Webster (1718–1796) who was a prominent Congregational minister in Salisbury, Massachusetts. He was also a Harvard graduate, and a vocal advocate for American independence. His famous quote “The Business of all power is to defend the lives, liberties and property of the people" originates from his May 28, 1777, election sermon to the Massachusetts legislature, which passionately defended natural rights and the concept of popular sovereignty.
This SBAGS Quarterly lists his ten things to protect the country from tyranny.
“Just a hint to the people of some things which seem to me most likely to guard against tyranny in their rulers:
Let the people by all means encourage schools and colleges, and all the means of learning knowledge.
Let them do all in their power to suppress vice and promote religion and virtue
Let only men of integrity be entrusted by you with any power.
Let not too much power be trusted in the hands of any. [sic]
Let elections of the Legislators be frequent; and let bribery and corruption be guarded against to the utmost.
Let the militia be kept under the best regulation, and be made respectable.
Let standing armies be only for necessity and for a limited time.
Let these armies never be put under the absolute power of any magistrate in time of peace, so as to act in any cause, till that cause is approved by the Senate and the people.
Let monopolies and all kinds of degrees of oppression be carefully guarded against.
Finally, let the power and prerogatives of the rules and the rights and privileges of the people be determined with as much precision as possible, so that all may know their limits. And where there is any dispute, let nothing be done till it is settled by the people, who are the fountain of power.”
~ Samuel Webster, 1777
