John Adams also said

Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by <, Start deletion,[. . .], End,> morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition <, Start deletion,and, End,> Revenge or Galantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other

The absolute prerequisite for liberty is morality. If the people are not moral, they do not deserve freedom because they will only abuse it. Without God, there is no restoring the Republic.