Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.
ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLEThe Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other.
More Alexis de Tocqueville Quotes
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As the past has ceased to throw its light upon the future, the mind of man wanders in obscurity.
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When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
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If an American was condemned to confine his activity to his own affairs, he would be robbed of one half of his existence.
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Rulers who destroy men’s freedom commonly begin by trying to retain its forms. … They cherish the illusion that they can combine the prerogatives of absolute power with the moral authority that comes from popular assent.
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The most dangerous moment for a bad government is when it begins to reform.
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America is great because she is good.
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There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.
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Socialism is a new form of slavery.
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In politics shared hatreds are almost always the basis of friendships.
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Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.
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There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one.
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Generally speaking, only simple conceptions can grip the mind of a nation. An idea that is clear and precise even though false will always have greater power in the world than an idea that is true but complex.
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Equality is a slogan based on envy. It signifies in the heart of every republican: “Nobody is going to occupy a place higher than I.”
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Despotism often presents itself as the repairer of all the ills suffered, the support of just rights, defender of the oppressed, and founder of order.
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Christianity is the companion of liberty in all its conflicts, the cradle of its infancy, and the divine source of its claims.
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