Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.
ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLEOne of the happiest consequences of the absence of government is the development of individual strength that inevitably follows.
More Alexis de Tocqueville Quotes
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The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.
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The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.
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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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Everybody feels the evil, but no one has courage or energy enough to seek the cure.
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The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.
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If ever America undergoes great revolutions, they will be brought about by the presence of the black race on the soil of the United States – that is to say, they will owe their origin not to the equality but to the inequality of conditions.
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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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A man’s admiration of absolute government is proportionate to the contempt he feels for those around him.
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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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The best laws cannot make a constitution work in spite of morals; morals can turn the worst laws to advantage.
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History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.
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When I refuse to obey an unjust law, I do not contest the right of the majority to command, but I simply appeal from the sovereignty of the people to the sovereignty of mankind.
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If I were asked to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of Americans ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women.
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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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The most dangerous moment for a bad government is when it begins to reform.
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