I have never taken this quote to mean that "personal liberty and government force were mutually opposed", per se. Instead, it's meaning seems clear to me as su

I have never taken this quote to mean that "personal liberty and government force were mutually opposed", per se. Instead, it's meaning seems clear to me as such: don't trade short-term security/safety in exchange for a long-term decrease in liberty. That seems to align with both the original meaning and the modern usage (despite NPR's reporting, which perhaps presents a false dichotomy).