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Live both in the future and the past. Who does not live in the past does not live in the future.

Lord Acton

The science of politics is the one science that is deposited by the streams of history, like the grains of gold in the sand of a river; and the knowledge of the past, the record of truths revealed by experience, is eminently practical, as an instrument of action and a power that goes to making the future.
LORD ACTON

Gold Grainm Stream Knowledge Past Politics River Rivers Sand Science
Every class is unfit to govern.
LORD ACTON

Class Unfit
From the absolute will of an entire people there is no appeal, no redemption, no refuge but treason.
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Absolute Appeal Appear People Redemption Refuge Treason
There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men.
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Ablest Defender Error Failing Men Monstrous
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
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Authority Essential Limitation
History provides neither compensation for suffering nor penalties for wrong.
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Compensation History Penalties Provide Suffering
A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.
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Both Different Fool Last Once Person Same Time Wise
Judge talent at its best and character at its worst.
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Character Judging Talent Worst
The common vice of democracy is disregard for morality.
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Common Democracy Morality Vice Vices
It is easier to find people fit to govern themselves than people fit to govern others.
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Easier Find Fit Govern People Themselves
Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together.
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Emna Excellent Good Government Higher Mean Political Reason Together
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.
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Art Criminal Despot Die Emancipate Excuse Last Nation Preacher Reformer
The true natural check on absolute democracy is the federal system, which limits the central government by the powers reserved, and the state governments by the powers they have ceded.
LORD ACTON

Bnaturem Check Central Democracy Government Limit Power Reserve Stage True
The mills of God grind slowly.
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Exactness God Grind Mill Retribution
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…
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Benefit Class Higher Liberty Mean Men Political
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

Live both in the future and the past. Who does not live in the past does not live in the future.

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Live both in the future and the past. Who does not live in the past does not live in the future.

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