Rep. Ron Paul speaking at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, 2011, the day oft the Iowa Caucuses. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

(CNSNews.com) – GOP presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) on Monday warned that individual liberties were under threat in the U.S.

Paul, speaking at the Lawrence Barn Community Center in Hollis, N.H., said whenever there is “a perpetual war atmosphere,” personal liberties are under attack at home. He pointed to the Patriot Act as an example of that.

“And also now, just recently, the government gave the president the authority to use the Army to arrest an American citizen without charges and held indefinitely. That is not protecting the American tradition. Those kind of infractions and insults to the American people have to be addressed,” Paul said.

“We have to get confidence in ourselves once again that a free society and free markets work. We cannot continue to depend that the federal government will always take care of us. What we need is a free society where we’re allowed to take care of ourselves. I believe in that. We have a wonderful opportunity to express those views. It’ll be tomorrow night,” he added.

Paul said he was encouraged by the young people he met who were “enthusiastic about hearing the truth, even if it’s negative, in that you have a big debt and you have a mess and talk about the wars going on. All of a sudden, they become excited and optimistic that at least if you admit you have a problem, maybe you can solve that problem.”

“So really, in spite of all my concerns, I’m an optimist because of the things I am saying around this country. People are starting to once again look at the great issues and the great ideas and all those principles that made America great,” he added.