Liberty Quotes - Page 38

Liberty may make mistakes but tyranny is the death of a nation.

The essence of constitutionalism in a democracy is not merely to shape and condition the nature of majorities, but also to stipulate that certain things are impermissible, no matter how large and fervent a majority might want them.

Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for absolute liberty. There is a wide difference between toleration and liberty. Toleration implies that somebody falsely claims the right to tolerate. Toleration is a concession, while liberty is a right. Toleration is a matter of expediency, while liberty is a matter of principle.

Circus dogs jump when the trainer cracks his whip.

Thou shall not steal, even by majority vote.

It is not truth, justice, liberty, that men seek; they seek only themselves. - And oh, that they knew how to seek themselves aright!

This is the true liberty of Christ, when a free man binds himself in love to duty. Not in shrinking from our distasteful occupations, but in fulfilling them, do we realize our high origin.

If we do not halt this steady process of building commissions and regulatory bodies and the special legislation like huge inverted pyramids over every one of the simple constitutional provisions, we shall soon be spending many billions of dollars more.

It's easier to scare someone than to persuade him.

Freedom begins between the ears.

Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.

To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.

The message for the American youth is that this is a great country and we need to make sure that we pass on a heritage, a lineage and a legacy of American exceptionalism to each and everyone of you so that you can enjoy all the great liberties and freedoms that all the previous generations have had.

It profits me but little, after all, that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquility of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life.

[T]hough individual oppression may now and then proceed fro the courts of justice, the general liberty of the people can never be endangered from that quarter . . .

No man in his senses can hesitate in choosing to be free, rather than a slave.

What we must remember, however, is that preservation of liberties does not depend on motives. A suppression of liberty has the same effect whether the suppressor be a reformer or an outlaw. The only protection against misguided zeal is constant alertness to infractions of the guarantees of liberty contained in our Constitution. Each surrender of liberty to the demands of the moment makes easier another, larger surrender. . .

Inequality is as dear to the American heart as liberty itself.

When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near.

The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.

Vote for me. I'll use my office to take another American's money and give it to you.

... the next revolution ... will be when those who work refuse to support those who don't.

The Declaration of Independence states that the Creator gave man the right to liberty. It seems man can realize that liberty only if he does not forget the One who endowed him with it.

Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavoured to subdue us, is of all others, the most improper to defend us.

Without virtue, happiness cannot be.