"Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state"

Thomas Jefferson is recommending that every resident must be a soldier in order to safeguard the state. He is referencing the Greeks and Romans, who had citizens serve in the military in order to protect their freedom. He believes that this ought to hold true for each free state, as it was for the Greeks and Romans. He is recommending that residents must be willing to combat for their freedom and the freedom of their state. He thinks that residents need to be willing to compromise their lives for the greater good of the state. He is highlighting the value of citizens being willing to serve in the military in order to secure their liberty. He believes that residents ought to want to put their lives on the line in order to protect their state and its liberty. He is suggesting that residents ought to be willing to fight for their liberty and the flexibility of their state, simply as the Greeks and Romans did.