Translate this sentance please!?

This is a selection, probably from one of the Founding Fathers, during the writing of the constitution or after the Revolutionary War. It basically means that liberty is something that America and its residents should hold dear and treasure, but it is also fragile and suseptable to forces, even extreme patriotism that may sully it. It's a warning that liberty is so important and powerful, but certain people (who may act as patriots) may actually cause us harm. In this way, liberty can also be good and bad. Sounds very much like an allegory for America's political situation today.