"We imagined that the mildness of our government and the wishes of the people were so correspondent that we were not as other nations, requiring brutal force to support the laws"

This quote by Henry Knox talks to the idea of a federal government that is based upon the authorization of the people, instead of one that relies on using force to maintain order. Knox is recommending that the government of the United States is different from other countries because it does not require making use of violence or browbeating to promote its laws. Rather, the federal government is moderate and individuals are in agreement with the laws, so there is no need for force. This quote reflects the perfects of the American Revolution, which sought to create a government that was based on the authorization of the people which respected their rights and freedoms. It also speaks with the idea of a federal government that is based on the guideline of law, rather than the rule of a single person or group.