“The truth is that the want of common education with us is not from our poverty, but from the want of an orderly system. More money is now paid for the education of a part than would be paid for that of the whole if systematically arranged.”
Monthly Archives: August 2006
On the principle of majority rule:
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”
On how to respond when the enemy mistreats prisoners:
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
“If the enemy shall put to death, torture or otherwise ill-treat any of the hostages in their hands, . . . recourse must be had to retaliation as the sole means of stopping the progress of human butchery, and . . . for that purpose punishments of the same kind and degree [should] be inflicted [...]
On going to war when it is unavoidable:
Monday, August 14, 2006
“I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are just friends and brave enemies.”
On the problem of bad leaders:
Friday, August 11, 2006
“I sincerely wish we could see our government so secured as to depend less on the character of the person in whose hands it is trusted. Bad men will sometimes get in and with such an immense patronage may make great progress in corrupting the public mind and principles. This is a subject with which [...]
On governments becoming tyrannical:
Thursday, August 10, 2006
“Epxerience [has] shown that, even under the best forms [of government], those entrusted with power have, in time and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”
On the press:
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
“Perhaps an editor might begin a reformation in some such way as this. Divide his paper into four chapters, heading the 1st, Truths. 2nd, Probabilities. 3rd, Possibilities. 4th, Lies. The first chapter would be very short, as it would contain little more than authentic papers and information from such sources as the editor would be [...]
On dealing with belligerent nations:
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
“A world in arms and trampling on all those moral principles which have heretofore been deemed sacred in the intercourse between nations, could not suffer us to remain insensible of all agitation. During such a course of lawless violence, it was certainly wise to withdraw ourselves from all intercourse with the belligerent nations, to avoid [...]
On the people’s need to monitor the government:
Monday, August 7, 2006
“Unless the mass retains sufficient control over those entrusted with the powers of their government, these will be perverted to their own oppression, and to the perpetuation of wealth and power in the individuals and their families selected for the trust. Whether our Constitution has hit on the exact degree of control necessary, is yet [...]
On the rights of immigrants:
Friday, August 4, 2006
“Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim [...]