Founders Of USA, Guns & Tyrants--Updated

A. "No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms"; "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"; "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants"; “What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. LET THEM TAKE ARMS.” (President Thomas Jefferson)
B.  "The very atmosphere of firearms any where and every where restrains evil interference---they deserve a place of honor with all that is good.";  "Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty teeth";  "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a  fearful master"; "Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected"; "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.";  And, as still true,  "The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves"  (President George Washington)
C. "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve  it but downright force. When you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined"; "Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?"; "The liberties of a people never were, nor every will be secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them" ;  And, of course, "Give me liberty or death!" (Patrick Henry)
D.  "The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.      (President James Madison)

E.  “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”  “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” (Benjamin Franklin)

 F. "The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." (Samuel Adams)

G.  “I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials”. (George Mason)

H. “Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every other terrible instrument of the soldier, are the birthright of an American…. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the People.” (Emphasis added); “As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the next article in their right to keep and bear their private arms (Tench Coxe; Member of The Continental Congress and, later, constitutional scholar and author). [Emphasis added]