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> Those (the Penn family) who would give up essential Liberty

No, you've got it half-backwards.

He's saying the democratic legislature shouldn't forever give up the citizens' collective Liberty to tax the ultra-mega-rich (Penns) in exchange for a one-time Security payment from those rich near-nobles.

https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famou...



Ironically you're correct, and yet I'm still closer to the original meaning than the typical quotation.




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