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Quote by Wendell Phillips

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

Quote by Wendell Phillips

Author

Wendell Phillips

Wendell Phillips was a distinguished American lawyer, abolitionist, and orator. Born on November 29, 1811, he was a leading figure in the abolitionist movement and a vocal opponent of slavery. Known for his eloquent speeches and advocacy for civil rights, Phillips passed away on February 2, 1884. more

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

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“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few. The manna of popular liberty must be gathered each day or it is rotten. The living sap of today outgrows the dead rind of yesterday. The hand entrusted with power becomes, either form human depravity or esprit de corps, the necessary enemy of the people. Only by continued oversight can the democrat in office be prevented from hardening into a despot; only by unintermitted agitation can a people be sufficiently awake to principle not to let liberty be smothered in material prosperity.”

“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.”

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“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.”

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“Agitation is the atmosphere of the brains.”

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

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“Exigencies create the necessary ability to meet and conquer them.”

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

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

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

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Author:Wendell Phillips