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Richard Cobden

Richard Cobden Books

British Statesman

Richard Cobden was a British statesman known for his advocacy of free trade. Born on June 3, 1804, and died on April 2, 1865, he was a prominent member of the British Whig Party. Cobden championed reduced government intervention in the economy and the liberalization of trade between nations.

Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

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Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Co...

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England, Ireland, and America

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Mr. Cobden and

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Richard Cobden's German Diaries

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Russia and the Eastern Question

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“The people of the two nations, French and English, must be brought into mutual dependence by the supply of each other's wants. There is no other way of counteracting the antagonism of language and race. It is God's own method of producing an entente cordiale, and no other plan is worth a farthing.”

People Way Want Two Language Nations Race Plans Method Mutual Dependence Antagonism Statesmanship Two Nations

Author:Richard Cobden

“Luck is always waiting for something to turn up. Labor, with keen eyes and strong will, always turns up something. Luck lies in bed and wishes the postman will bring news of a legacy. Labor turns out at six o'clock and with busy pen or ringing hammer, lays the foundation of a competence. Luck whines. Labor whistles. Luck relies on chance, labor on character.”

“I've seen the smiling of Fortune beguiling, I've felt all its favours and found its decay; Sweet was its blessing, kind its caressing, But now it is fled, fled far, far away.”

Kind Found Felt Sweet Blessing Fortune Far Away Decay Favour

Author:Richard Cobden

“the twelve or fifteen millions in the British Empire, who, while they possess no electoral rights, are yet persuaded they are freemen, and who are mystified into the notion that they are not political bondmen, by that great juggle of the ' English Constitution ' a thing of monopolies, and Church-craft, and sinecures, armorial hocus-pocus, primogeniture, and pageantry!”

Political Church Millions Rights Constitution Notion British Crafts Empires Twelve Fifteen Monopoly British Empire Freeman Hocus Pocus Pageantry

Book:Richard Cobden's German Diaries

Source: Richard Cobden's German Diaries

“The idea of defending, as integral parts of our Empire, countries 10,000 miles off, like Australia, which neither pay a shilling to our revenue... nor afford us any exclusive trade... is about as quixotic a specimen of national folly as was ever exhibited.”

Ideas Country Pay Trade Miles Folly Empires Australia Revenue Exclusive Quixotic

Author:Richard Cobden

“the principles of political economy have elevated the working class above the place they ever filled before.”

Political Class Principles Economy Filled Working Class Political Economy

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“I believe that the harm which Mill has done to the world by the passage in his book on Political Economy in which he favours the principle of Protection in young communities, has outweighed all the good which may have been caused by his other writings.”

World Writing Believe May Has Beens Book Done Young Political I Believe Community Principles Economy Protection Harm Passages Favour Mills Political Economy

Author:Richard Cobden

“Cobden was the greatest statesman and prophet of the century. His speeches are an inspiration. A man whose disciple I am willing to confess I am.”

Men Inspiration Century Willing Speech Prophet Disciple Statesmen

Author:Richard Cobden

“I took the repeal of the Corn Laws as light amusement compared with the difficult task of inducing the priests of all denominations to agree to suffer the people to be educated.”

People Light Law Suffering Difficult Atheism Tasks Agree Positive Atheism Educated Priests Amusement Corn Denominations Difficult Tasks

Author:Richard Cobden

“The progress of freedom depends more upon the maintenance of peace, the spread of commerce, and the diffusion of education, than upon the labours of cabinets and foreign offices.”

Freedom Progress Depends Office Spread Labour Commerce Cabinets Maintenance Diffusion

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“Wars have ever been but another aristocratic mode of plundering and oppressing commerce.”

War Peace Anti War Antiwar Commerce Aristocratic

Book:Russia and the Eastern Question

Source: Russia and the Eastern Question

“A newspaper should be the maximum of information, and the minimum of comment.”

Should Information Newspapers Comment Minimum Maximum

Author:Richard Cobden

“Luck relies on chance, labor on character.”

Character Chance Labor Luck Rely

Author:Richard Cobden

“Look not to the politicians; look to yourselves.”

Looks Liberty Politician Libertarian Libertarianism

Author:Richard Cobden

“For every credibility gap there is a gullibility gap.”

Gaps Credibility Gullibility

Author:Richard Cobden

“Let it never be forgotten that it is not by means of war that states are rendered fit for the enjoyment of constitutional freedom; on the contrary, whilst terror and bloodshed reign in the land, involving men's minds in the extremities of hopes and fears, there can be no process of thought, no education going on, by which alone can a people be prepared for the enjoyment of rational liberty.”

Source: England, Ireland, and America

“The landlords are not agriculturists; that is an abuse of terms which has been too long tolerated.”

Long Has Beens Term Abuse Landlord

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“It has been one of my difficulties, in arguing this question out of doors with friends or strangers, that I rarely find any intelligible agreement as to the object of the war.”

Has Beens War Doors Objects Difficulty Stranger Arguing Agreement

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“Peace will come to earth when the people have more to do with each other and governments less.”

People Government Earth

Author:Richard Cobden

“But it is my happiness to be half Welsh, and that the better half.”

Half Welsh Better Half

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“I cannot separate the finances of India from those of England. If the finances of the Indian Government receive any severe and irreparable check, will not the resources of England be called upon to meet the emergency, and to supply the deficiency?”

Ifs Government Resources India England Checks Finance Indian Fierce Severe Emergencies Deficiency Irreparable

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“I am no party man in this matter in any degree; and if I have any objection to the motion it is this, that whereas it is a motion to inquire into the manufacturing distress of the country, it should have been a motion to inquire into manufacturing and agricultural distress.”

Ifs Men Should Has Beens Country Matter Party He Man Degrees Should Have Agriculture Distress Should Have Been Manufacturing Objections

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“On the contrary, all the world would point to that nation as violating a treaty, by going to war with a country with whom they had engaged to enter into arbitration.”

World War Country Nations Contrary Engaged Engagement Treaties Going To War Arbitration

Book:Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849

Source: Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849

“You may keep Turkey on the map of Europe, you may call the country by the name of Turkey if you like, but do not think you can keep up the Mahommedan rule in the country.”

Ifs Thinking May Country Names Europe Maps Turkeys

Author:Richard Cobden

“I hold all idea of regulating the currency to be an absurdity; the very terms of regulating the currency and managing the currency I look upon to be an absurdity; the currency should regulate itself; it must be regulated by the trade and commerce of the world; I would neither allow the Bank of England nor any private banks to have what is called the management of the currency.”

World Should Looks Ideas Term England Management Trade Look Up Commerce Currency Absurdity

Author:Richard Cobden

“From 1836, down to last year, there is no proof of the Government having any confidence in the duration of peace, or possessing increased security against war.”

Years War Government Lasts Security Proof Last Year Possessing Duration Against War

Book:Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849

Source: Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849

“I am not accustomed to pay fulsome compliments to the English, by telling them that they are superior to all the world; but this I can say, that they do not deserve the name of cowards.”

World I Can Names Pay Deserve Superiors Coward Compliment Accustomed

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“I confess that for fifteen years my efforts in education, and my hopes of success in establishing a system of national education, have always been associated with the idea of coupling the education of this country with the religious communities which exist.”

Years Ideas Country Community Religious Effort Fifteen Fifteen Years Coupling Religious Community Hope Of Success

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“I have been particularly struck with the overwhelming evidence which is given as to the fitness of the natives of India for high offices and employments.”

Has Beens Given Office Evidence India Employment Overwhelming

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“I therefore declare, that if you wish any remission of the taxation which falls upon the homes of the people of England and Wales, you can only find it by reducing the great military establishments, and diminishing the money paid to fighting men in time of peace.”

People Ifs Men Home Fall Fighting Wish Military England Paid Establishment Taxation Reducing Wales Great Military Remission

Author:Richard Cobden

“In Holland, they have come to precisely the same conclusion. There they have adopted a system of secular education, because they have found it impracticable to unite the religious bodies in any system of combined religious instruction.”

Body Found Religious Conclusion Instruction Secular Adopted Holland

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“People who eat potatoes will never be able to perform their abilities in whatever job they choose to have.”

People Able Jobs Ability Potatoes

Author:Richard Cobden

“I believe it has been said that one copy of The Times contains more useful information than the whole of the historical works of Thucydides.”

Believe Has Beens Said Whole I Believe Information Historical Newspapers Journalism Copies Useful Information

Book:Mr. Cobden and

Source: Mr. Cobden and

“The problem to solve is, whether a single or a double government would be most advantageous; and, in considering that point, I am met by this difficulty - that I cannot see that the present form of government is a double government at all.”

Problem Government Would Be Form Mets Difficulty Solve Considering Forms Of Government

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“This great oracle of the East India Company himself admits that, if there is no power vested in the Court of Directors but that of the patronage, there is really no government vested in them at all.”

Ifs Government Company Directors India Court East Oracles Patronage

Book:Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

Source: Speeches on Questions of Public Policy

“Treaties of peace, made after war, are entrusted to individuals to negotiate and carry out.”

Made War Individual Treaties Peace Treaties

Book:Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849

Source: Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849

About the Author

Born: June 3, 1804
Died: April 2, 1865
Known for: British Statesman
Quotes: 36

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Has Beens People War Country Government Ifs Men World Commerce England

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Speeches on Questions of Public PolicyRelated source material

Speeches on Peace, Financial Reform, Colonial Reform, and Other Subjects: Delivered During 1849Related source material

England, Ireland, and AmericaRelated source material

Mr. Cobden andRelated source material

Richard Cobden's German DiariesRelated source material

Russia and the Eastern QuestionRelated source material

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