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Government rules the present. Literature rules the future.

Lord Acton

Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
LORD ACTON

End Higher Liberty Mean Political
History, to be above evasion or dispute, must stand on documents, not on opinions.
LORD ACTON

Disputes Document Evasion History Opinion Stand
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
LORD ACTON

Freedom Higher Highest Liberty Mean Politics Wisdom
Progress, the religion of those who have none.
LORD ACTON

None Progress Religion
But when modern absolutism arose, it laid claim to everything on behalf of the sovereign power….
LORD ACTON

Absolutism Behalf Claim Everything Laid Modern Power Sovereign
If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power…power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
LORD ACTON

Absolute Corrupt Other Power Presumption Tend
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end…liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition…
LORD ACTON

Benefit Class Higher Liberty Mean Men Political
Before God, there is neither Greek nor barbarian, neither rich nor poor, and the slave is as good as his master, for by birth all men are free; they are citizens of the universal commonwealth which embraces all the world, brethren of one family, and children of God.
LORD ACTON

All Birth Children Citizen Country Free God Good Master Men Neither Poor Salve
When the last of the Reformers died, religion, instead of emancipating the nations, had become an excuse for the criminal art of despots. Calvin preached, and Bellarmine lectured; but Machiavelli reigned.
LORD ACTON

Art Criminal Despot Die Emancipate Excuse Last Nation Preacher Reformer
It is easier to find people fit to govern themselves than people fit to govern others.
LORD ACTON

Easier Find Fit Govern People Themselves
The common vice of democracy is disregard for morality.
LORD ACTON

Common Democracy Morality Vice Vices
A convinced man differs from a prejudiced man as an honest man from a liar.
LORD ACTON

Convince Differ Honest Liar Men
Feudalism made land the measure and the master of all things.
LORD ACTON

Feudalism Land Made Master Measure Real
Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force.
LORD ACTON

Authority Exist Force Liberty
Far from being the product of a democratic revolution and of an opposition to English institutions, the constitution of the United States was the result of a powerful reaction against democracy, and in favor of the traditions of the mother country.
LORD ACTON

Constitution Country Institution Mother Powerful Product Result Revolution State
A generous spirit prefers that his country should be poor, and weak, and of no account, but free, rather than powerful, prosperous, and enslaved.
LORD ACTON

Account Country Ensalve Generous Powerful Spirit

Government rules the present. Literature rules the future.

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Government rules the present. Literature rules the future.

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