"Despotism can only exist in darkness, and there are too many lights now in the political firmament to permit it to remain anywhere, as it has heretofore done, almost everywhere"

In this quote, James Madison is revealing his belief that despotism, or the outright rule of a single individual, can only thrive in secrecy and ignorance. He argues that with the increasing presence of understanding and enlightenment in the political world, despotism will no longer have the ability to maintain its hang on society as it has in the past. Madison suggests that the spread of information and the rise of democratic perfects have actually clarified the defects and risks of despotism, making it hard for it to survive. He is optimistic that the power of the people and the exposure of despotic practices will eventually lead to its failure.