Quotes from Charles Sumner

The slave power dares anything, and it can be conquered only by the united masses of the people. From Congress to the people, I appeal.

By the Law of Slavery, man, created in the image of God, is divested of the human character, and declared to be a mere chattel.

Let the bugles sound the Truce of God to the whole world forever.

No true and permanent fame can be founded, except in labors which promote the happiness of mankind.

The age of Chivalry is gone. An age of Humanity has come.

If a man has done evil in his life, he must not be complimented in marble.

From the beginning of our history the country has been afflicted with compromise. It is by compromise that human rights have been abandoned.

The phrase public office is a public trust, has of last become common property.

Nothing from man's hands, nor law, nor constitution, can be final. Truth alone is final.

War crushes with bloody heel all justice, all happiness, all that is Godlike in man. In our age there can be no peace that is not honorable; there can be no war that is not dishonorable.

Can there be in our age any peace that is not honorable, any war that is not dishonorable?

War is a positive, precise and specific evil, of gigantic proportions ...making within the sphere of its influence all true grandeur impossible.

The true grandeur of humanity is in moral elevation, sustained, enlightened and decorated by the intellect of man

I have never known a man who was sensual in his youth, who was high-minded when old.

Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace.

The true greatness of nations is in those qualities which constitute the greatness of the individual.

There is the National flag. He must be cold, indeed, who can look upon its folds rippling in the breeze without pride of country. If in a foreign land, the flag is companionship, and country itself, with all its endearments.

Where Slavery is, there Liberty cannot be; and where Liberty is, there Slavery cannot be.

No true and permanent fame can be founded except in labors which promote the happiness of mankind.

From the beginning of our history the country has been afflicted with compromise. It is by compromise that human rights have been abandoned. I insist that this shall cease. The country needs repose after all its trials; it deserves repose. And repose can only be found in everlasting principles.

Three things at least they [good politicians] must require; the first is back-bone; the second is back-bone; and the third is back-bone.

Senators undertake to disturb us... by reminding us of the possibility of large numbers swarming from China; but the answer to all this is very obvious and very simple. If the Chinese come here, they will come for citizenship or merely for labor. If they come for citizenship, then in this desire do they give a pledge of loyalty to our institutions; and where is the peril in such vows? They are peaceful and industrious; how can their citizenship be the occasion of solicitude?

Anything for Human Rights is constitutional.

The age of chivalry has gone; the age of humanity has come.