Quotes from Wendell Phillips

Agitation is the atmosphere of the brains.

Two kinds of men generally best succeed in political life; men of no principle, but of great talent; and men of no talent, but of one principle - that of obedience to their superiors.

To hear some men talk of the government, you would suppose that Congress was the law of gravitation, and kept the planets in their places.

Truth is one forever absolute, but opinion is truth filtered through the moods, the blood, the disposition of the spectator.

Difference of religion breeds more quarrels than difference of politics.

Governments exist to protect the rights of minorities. The loved and the rich need no protection: they have many friends and few enemies.

Debt is the fatal disease of republics, the first thing and the mightiest to undermine governments and corrupt the people.

Political convulsions, like geological upheavings, usher in new epochs of the world's progress.

Every man meets his Waterloo at last.

Today it is not big business that we have to fear. It is big government.

The Puritan's idea of hell is a place where everybody has to mind his own business.

Physical bravery is an animal instinct moral bravery is much higher and truer courage.

Whether in chains or in laurels, liberty knows nothing but victories.

To be as good as our fathers we must be better, imitation is not discipleship.

We live under a government of men—and morning newspapers.

Revolutions are not made; they come. A revolution is as natural a growth as an oak. It comes out of the past. Its foundations are laid far back.

Seldom ever was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty power is ever stealing from the many to the few.

When I look upon these crowded thousands, and see them trample on their consciences and the rights of their fellow-men at the bidding of a piece of parchment, I say my curse be on the Constitution of these United States.

You can always get the truth from an American statesman after he has turned seventy, or given up all hope of the Presidency.

The best use of laws is to teach men to trample bad laws under their feet.

The best education in the world is that got by struggling to get a living.

More than all other people, we are afraid of each other.

Responsibility educates.