Who said “Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must…”?

Verified

Alexander Hamilton. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceElliot's Debates, volume 2, p. 364. (28 July 1788)

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“Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.”
— Alexander Hamilton
VerifiedElliot's Debates, volume 2, p. 364. (28 July 1788) · evidenceConstitutions
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Elliot's Debates, volume 2, p. 364. (28 July 1788).

APA

Hamilton, A. (n.d.). Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/11264-constitutions-should-consist-only-of-general-provisions-the/

MLA

Hamilton, Alexander. “Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/11264-constitutions-should-consist-only-of-general-provisions-the/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Hamilton, Alexander. “Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/11264-constitutions-should-consist-only-of-general-provisions-the/.

Related quotes

“Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
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VerifiedLetter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy (13 November 1789), quoting a popular phrase dated back to the 1716 play The Cobbler of Preston, written by Christopher Bullock. · evidenceDetails & citeConstitutions
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“The words of the Constitution are so unrestricted by their intrinsic meaning or by their history or by tradition or by prior decisions that they leave the individual Justice free, if indeed they do not compel him, to gather meaning not from reading the Constitution but from reading life.”
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