Son William Jay in The Life of John Jay (1833), volume I, chapter III.
“
By this constitution [NY State 1777] the right of suffrage was, in several instances, restricted to freeholders; it being a favourite maxim with Mr. Jay, that those who own the country ought to govern it.
— Son William Jay
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "By this constitution [NY State 1777] the right of suffrage was, in several instances, restricted to freeholders; it being a favourite maxim with Mr. Jay, that those who own the country ought to govern it." in the context of "Son William Jay in The Life of John Jay (1833), volume I, chapter III." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "John Jay" (Quotes about Jay)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About John Jay
John Jay (12 December 1745 – 17 May 1829) was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, and jurist, who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.
About John Jay
John Jay (12 December 1745 – 17 May 1829) was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, and jurist, who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.
View all quotes →