Wendell Phillips Quotes:

There is nothing stronger than human prejudice.

Topics: Stronger, Prejudice, Humans

Every government is always growing corrupt.

Topics: Government, Growing

What is defeat? Nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.282

Topics: Education, Sports, Firsts, First Steps, Victory And Defeat

The labor movement means just this: It is the last noble protest of the American people against the power of incorporated wealth.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1891). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters: Second series”

Topics: Mean, People, Noble, Labor Movement, Organized Labor

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

Topics: Animal, Bravery, Accountability, Physical Courage, Physical Attraction

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.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.36

Topics: Past, Growth, Revolution

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

Topics: Education, Struggle, World, Children And Education, Early Education

Common sense does not ask an impossible chessboard, but takes the one before it and plays the game.

Topics: Games, Play, Common Sense

Christianity is a battle, not a dream.

Topics: Inspirational, Dream, Battle

No free people can lose their liberties while they are jealous of liberty. But the liberties of the freest people are in danger when they set up symbols of liberty as fetishes, worshipping the symbol instead of the principle it represents.

Topics: Freedom, Jealous, People, Fetish

The paleontological evidence before us today clearly demonstrates ordered progressive change with the successive development of new faunal and floral assemblages through the changing epochs of our earth's history. There should be no real conflict between science, which is the search for truth, and Christ's teachings, which I hold to be truth itself. It is only when scientists remove God from creation that the Christian is faced with an irreconcilable situation.

Topics: Christian, Real, Teaching, Assemblage, Progressive Change

Difference of religion breeds more quarrels than difference of politics.

source: - Wendell Phillips, Theodore Parker, C. I. H. Nichols (1854). “Woman's Rights Tracts”, p.20

Topics: Differences, Religion, Quarrels

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

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.341

Topics: Rights, Government, Political, Minority Government

The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future.

Topics: Past, Heritage, Harvest

What gunpowder did for war the printing press has done for the mind.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.40

Topics: War, Book, Reading, Printing Press

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

Topics: Government, Today, Bigs, Big Government, Big Business

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

Topics: Liberty, Stealing, Vigilance, Esprit De Corps, Eternal Vigilance

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

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.421

Topics: Tyrants, Government, People, Owing A Debt, Corrupt Government

Many know how to flatter, few know how to praise.

Topics: Praise

Let us always remember that he does not really believe his own opinion, who dares not give free scope to his opponent.

Topics: Believe, Giving, Speech

Government began in tyranny and force, began in the feudalism of the soldier and bigotry of the priest; and the ideas of justice and humanity have been fighting their way, like a thunderstorm, against the organized selfishness of human nature.

Topics: Fighting, Government, Ideas, Feudalism

Though plunged in ills and exercised in care, Yet never let the noble mind despair.

Topics: Mind, Despair, Care

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

Topics: Fathers Day, Father, Imitation, Fathers Day Images

Law is nothing unless close behind it stands a warm, living public opinion.

Topics: Law, Public Opinion, Opinion

It is only liquid currents of thought that move men and the world

Topics: Moving, Men, Ideas

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

Topics: Ideas, Gossip, Mind

Let me make the newspapers, and I care not what is preached in the pulpit or what is enacted in Congress

Topics: Caring, Care, Pulpit

The work resembles a breech delivery-one which is expressed in rhythmic lurches, stabs of phrase and vocal ornamentation designed to express agitation rather than decorative grace.

Topics: Grace, Phrases, Agitation, Ornamentation

If there is anything in the universe that can't stand discussion, let it crack.

Topics: Cracks, Discussion, Universe

Every man meets his Waterloo at last.

Topics: Men, Destiny, Lasts, Waterloo

If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.

Topics: Firsts, Causes, Want, Orators

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

source: - Wendell Phillips (1859). “Fraternity Lecture of Wendell Phillips, Esq: Boston, Oct. 4, 1859. Also, Letter of Mr. Phillips to Judge Shaw and Prest. Walker”, p.6

Topics: Truth, Blood, Forever

We measure genius by quality, not by quantity.

Topics: Quality, Genius, Quantity

To be as good as our fathers, we must be better. Imitation is not discipleship. When some one sent a cracked plate to China to have a set made, every piece in the new set had a crack in it.

Topics: Father, Pieces, Cracks

Popular opinion is oftenest, what Carlyle pronounced it to be, a lie!

Topics: Lying, Opinion, Popularity, Popular Opinion

God gives manhood but one clew to success,--utter and exact justice; that he guarantees shall be always expediency.

Topics: Justice, Giving, Guarantees

Peace, if possible, but justice at any rate.

Topics: Justice, Rate

The press is the exclusive literature of the million; to them it is literature, church, and college.

Topics: College, Church, Literature

Sin is not taken out of man, as Eve was out of Adam, by putting him to sleep.

Topics: Taken, Sleep, Men

Society,--the only field where the sexes have ever met on terms of equality, the arena where character is formed and studied, the cradle and the realm of public opinion, the crucible of ideas, the world's university, at once a school and a theater, the spur and the crown of ambition, the tribunal which unmasks pretension and stamps real merit, the power that gives government leave to be, and outruns the lazy Church in fixing the moral sense of the eye.

Topics: Sex, Real, Ambition, Outrun

It is but the littleness of man that seeth no greatness in trifles.

Topics: Men, Greatness, Trifles

War and Niagara thunder to a music of their own.

Topics: War, Thunder, Niagara

Statutes are mere milestone, telling how far yesterday's thought had traveled; and the talk of the sidewalk today is the law of the land. With us, law in nothing unless close behind it stands a warm, living public opinion.

Topics: Law, Land, Yesterday, Statutes

Hearts are stronger than swords.

Topics: Heart, Stronger

Government is only a necessary evil, like other go-carts and crutches. Our need of it shows exactly how far we are still children. All governing overmuch kills the self-help and energy of the governed.

Topics: Children, Government, Self, Necessary Evil

Baron Grimm declared that, as a rule, it was easy for little minds to attain splendid positions, because they devoted all their ability to the one object.

Topics: Mind, Littles, Easy, Grimm, Little Minds

There is nothing stronger than human prejudice. A crazy sentimentalism, like that of Peter the Hermit, hurled half of Europe upon Asia, and changed the destinies of kingdoms.

Topics: Crazy, Destiny, Europe

What gunpowder did for war, the printing-press has done for the mind; and the statesman is no longer clad in the steel of special education, but every reading man is his judge.

Topics: War, Reading, Men, Special Education

The slowest of us cannot but admit that the world moves.

Topics: Moving, Progress, World

The Puritan did not stop to think; he recognized God in his soul, and acted.

Topics: Thinking, Soul, Religion

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

Topics: Political, Progress, Revolution

Neither do I acknowledge the right of Plymouth to the whole rock. No, the rock underlies all America: it only crops out here.

Topics: America, Rocks, Plymouth

My advice to a young man seeking deathless fame would be to espouse an unpopular cause and devote his life to it.

Topics: Men, Advice, Causes, Deathless

Agitation prevents rebellion, keeps the peace, and secures progress. Every step she gains is gained forever. Muskets are the weapons of animals. Agitation is the atmosphere of the brains.

Topics: Animal, Worry, Forever

The republic which sinks to sleep, trusting to constitutions and machinery, to politicians and statesmen, for the safety of its liberties, never will have any.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1902). “Selections from the works of Wendell Phillips”

Topics: Sleep, Safety, Democracy

No class is safe unless government is so arranged that each class has in its hands the means of protecting itself. That is the idea of republics.

Topics: Mean, Government, Hands

Many men know how to flatter, few men know how to praise.

source: - "Fraternity Lecture of Wendell Phillips, Esq: Boston, Oct. 4, 1859. Also, Letter of Mr. Phillips to Judge Shaw and Prest. Walker".

Topics: Praise, Know How, Knows

Organize, and stand together. Claim something together, and at once; let the nation hear a united demand from the laboring voice, and then, when you have got that, go on after another; but get something.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1969). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters, Second Series”, Ayer Company Pub

Topics: Voice, Together, Goes On

The community which does not protect its humblest and most hated member in the free utterance of his opinions, no matter how false or hateful, is only a gang of slaves. If there is anything in the universe that can't stand discussion, let it crack.

Topics: Community, Liberty, Doe

I think the first duty of society is justice.

source: - "Disunion". Book by Wendell Phillips, January 21, 1861.

Topics: Inspirational, Justice, Firsts

Health lies in labor, and there is no royal road to it but through toil.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.54

Topics: Lying, Health, Toil

Write on my gravestone: 'Infidel, Traitor.', infidel to every church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that oppresses the people.

source: - Bulletin, Volume 8, Issues 11-18, p. 69,

Topics: Writing, Government, People, Infidel

Never forgive at the ballot box!

Topics: Forgiving, Boxes, Ballots, Never Forgive

It is easy to be independent when all behind you agree with you, but the difficulty comes when nine hundred and ninety-nine of your friends think you are wrong.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1969). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters, Second Series”, Ayer Company Pub

Topics: Independent, Thinking, Ninety Nine

Do not take the yardstick of your ignorance to measure what the ancients knew, and call everything which you do not know lies. Do not call things untrue because they are marvelous, but give them a fair consideration.

Topics: Lying, Ignorance, Giving, Marvelous, Untrue

I will utter what I believe today, if it should contradict all I said yesterday.

Topics: Believe, Yesterday, Today

Immoral laws are doubtless void, and should not be obeyed.

Topics: Law, Void, Should

The penny-papers of New York do more to govern this country than the White House at Washington.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.47

Topics: Country, New York, White

Will the slave fight? If any man asks you, tell him No. But if anyone asks you will a Negro fight, tell him Yes!

Topics: Fighting, Men, History

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.

Topics: Men, Two, Political, Great Talent

Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.

source: - Wendell Phillips, Theodore Parker, C. I. H. Nichols (1854). “Woman's Rights Tracts”, p.24

Topics: Political, Half, Politics

How prudently most men creep into nameless graves, while now and then one or two forget themselves into immortality.

source: - National Anti-Slavery Standard, 27 Apr. 1867

Topics: Men, Two, Forget, Nameless

One on God's side is a majority.

source: - Speech on John Brown, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1 Nov. 1859 See Coolidge 2; Douglass 7; Andrew Jackson 7; John Knox 1; Thoreau 9

Topics: God, Majority, Sides

The reformer is careless of numbers, disregards popularity, and deals only with ideas, conscience, and common sense. He feels, with Copernicus, that as God waited long for an interpreter, so he can wait for his followers.

Topics: Ideas, Numbers, Long, Interpreter, Copernicus

The hand entrusted with power becomes, either from human depravity or esprit de corps, the necessary enemy of the people

Topics: Hands, People, Enemy, Depravity, Esprit De Corps

Experience is a safe light to walk by, and he is not a rash man who expects to succeed in future from the same means which have secured it in times past.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1853). “Speech of Wendell Phillips in vindication of the course pursued by the American Abolitionists”, p.36

Topics: Mean, Past, Men, Times Past

Revolutions are not made, they come.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.36

Topics: Revolution, Rebellious, Made

We live under a government of men and morning newspapers.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.47

Topics: Morning, Men, Government

The keener the want the lustier the growth.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1861). “Disunion: 2 discourses”, p.28

Topics: Growth, Want

On a single winged word hath hung the destiny of nations.

Topics: Inspirational, Destiny, Hung

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

Topics: Men, Liberty, Prohibition, Servitude, Power Government

The man who, for party, forsakes righteousness, goes down; and the armed battalions of God march over him.

source: - "Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers". Book by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, p. 352, 1895.

Topics: Integrity, Party, Men

Wants awaken intellect. To gratify them disciplines intellect. The keener the want the lustier the growth.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1861). “Disunion: 2 discourses”, p.28

Topics: Discipline, Growth, Want

Education is the only interest worthy the deep, controlling anxiety of the thoughtful man.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.246

Topics: Education, Thoughtful, Men

Government arrogates to itself that it alone forms men. Everybody knows that government never began anything. It is the whole world that thinks and governs.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1982). “Wendell Phillips on Civil Rights and Freedom”

Topics: Men, Thinking, World

Boredom, after all, is a form of criticism.

Topics: Boredom, Criticism, Form, Constructive Criticism, Funny Boredom

Eternal vigilence is the price of liberty.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.52

Topics: Freedom, Responsibility, Liberty

Right is the eternal sun; the world cannot delay its coming.

Topics: Delay, World, Sun

The heart is the best logician.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.321

Topics: Heart

Aristocracy is always cruel.

source: - Wendell Phillips, Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison, C C Burleigh (2007). “No Slave-Hunting in the Old Bay State: An Appeal to the People and Legislature of Massachusetts -- Including, Toussaint L'Ouverture”, p.37, Cosimo, Inc.

Topics: Aristocracy

What is fanaticism today is the fashionable creed tomorrow, and trite as the multiplication table a week after.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1982). “Wendell Phillips on Civil Rights and Freedom”

Topics: Tables, Today, Tomorrow, Multiplication, Fanaticism

There is a very broad theory that society gets the right to hang, as the individual gets the right to defend himself. Suppose she does; there are certain principles which limit this right. Society has got the murderer within four walls; he never can do any more harm. Has society any need to take that man's life to protect itself? If any society has only the right that the individual has, she has no right to inflict the penalty of death, because she can effectually restrain the individual from ever again committing his offence.

Topics: Wall, Men, Principles, Four Walls

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.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.305

Topics: Men, Law, Aggravation, Gravitation, Fidgeting

Freedom to preach was first gained, dragging in its train freedom to print.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.9

Topics: Firsts, Print, Train

What the Puritans gave the world was not thought, but action.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.229

Topics: World, Action, Puritan

Politicians are like the bones of a horse's foreshoulder-not a straight one in it.

Topics: Horse, Political, Politics

Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated.... There is no republican road to safety but in constant distrust.

Topics: Safety, Republic, Distrust

Brains and character rule the world. The most distinguished Frenchman of the last century said: Men succeed less by their talents than their character. There were scores of men a hundred years ago who had more intellect than Washington. He outlives and overrides them all by the influence of his character.

Topics: Character, Men, Years

Every step of progress the world has made has been from scaffold to scaffold, and from stake to stake.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.14

Topics: Progress, World, Steps, Every Step

Exigencies create the necessary ability to meet and conquer them.

Topics: Conquer, Ability

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

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.309

Topics: Given, Statesmen, Presidency, Statesmanship

Take the whole range of imaginative literature, and we are all wholesale borrowers. In every matter that relates to invention, to use, or beauty or form, we are borrowers.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1969). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters, Second Series”, Ayer Company Pub

Topics: Beauty, Writing, Matter, Borrowers

Example acquires tenfold authority when it speaks from the grave.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.114

Topics: Example, Speak, Authority

Revolutions never go backwards.

source: - "Speech". February 17, 1861.

Topics: Revolution, Backwards

Insurrection of thought always precedes the insurrection of arms.

source: - "Speeches, Lectures, and Letters".

Topics: Arms, Insurrection

The heart beats louder and the soul hears quicker in silence and solitude.

Topics: Heart, Silence, Soul, Heart Beat

Revolution is the only thing, the only power, that ever worked out freedom for any people. The powers that have ruled long and learned to love ruling, will never give up that prerogative until they must, till they see the certainty of overthrow and destruction if they do not. To plant-to revolutionize-these are the twin stars that have ruled our pathway. What have we then to dread in the word Revolution-we, the children of rebels!

Topics: Stars, Children, Giving Up

Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.

Topics: Republic, Tenure

Politics is but the common pulse-beat, of which revolution is the fever-spasm.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.152

Topics: Political, Pulse, Fever

Liberty knows nothing but victories. Soldiers call Bunker Hill a defeat; but liberty dates from it though Warren lay dead on the field.

source: - Wendell Phillips (1864). “Speeches, Lectures, and Letters”, p.274

Topics: Soldier, Victory, Liberty, Bunker Hill

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

source: - Speech, Boston, Mass., 12 Apr. 1852

Topics: Men, Law, Feet, Bad Laws

A large body of people, sufficient to make a nation, have come to the conclusion that they will have a government of a certain form. Who denies them the right? Standing with the principles of '76 behind us, who can deny them the right? ... I maintain on the principles of '76 that Abraham Lincoln has no right to a soldier in Fort Sumter. ... You can never make such a war popular. ... The North never will endorse such a war.

Topics: War, Government, People

Our agitation, you know, helps keep yours alive in the rank and file.

Topics: War, Agitation, Alive