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Lord Acton

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Famous Lord Acton Quotes

“Liberty, next to religion has been the motive of good deeds and the common pretext of crime, from the sowing of the seed at Athens, 2,460 years ago, until the ripened harvest was gathered by men of our race. It is the delicate fruit of a mature civilization; and scarcely a century has passed since nations, that knew the meaning of the term, resolved to be free. In every age its progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food.”

MenYearsHas BeensAgeNextStrongNationsTermNaturalPoorCommonRaceLibertyEnemyProgressCenturyCrimeIgnoranceCivilizationYears AgoFruitDeedsSeedsLustEaseMotiveMatureDelicateSuperstitionsHarvestConquestGood DeedsCravingPoor ManPretextStrong ManAthensSowingNatural Enemies
Author:Lord Acton
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“That great political idea, sanctifying freedom and consecrating it to God, teaching men to treasure the liberties of others as their own and to defend them for the love of justice and charity more than as a claim of right, has been the soul of what is great and good in the progress of the last two hundred years.”

MenYearsHas BeensTwoIdeasSoulLastsPoliticalJusticeLibertyProgressTeachingHundredClaimsCharityTreasureGreat Political
Book:The History of Freedom: Great Event
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“In every age its (liberty's) progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food”

MenHas BeensWisdomAgePoliticsStrongNaturalPoorLibertyEnemyEconomyProgressIgnoranceLustEaseLiberalismSuperstitionsConquestCravingPoor ManStrong ManNatural Enemies
Book:The History of Freedom (and other Essays)
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“At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities, that have prevailed by associating themselves with auxiliaries whose objects often differed from their own; and this association, which is always dangerous, has sometimes been disastrous.”

Has BeensSometimesDangerousObjectsDuesAll TimeTriumphMinoritiesSincereAssociationSincere Friends
Book:The History of Freedom (and other Essays)
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