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

Lord Acton

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
The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks.
LORD ACTON

Bank Century Down Issue People Sooner Swept
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
Be generous before you are just. Do not temper mercy with justice.
LORD ACTON

Before Generous Justice Mercy Temper
Judge talent at its best and character at its worst.
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Character Judging Talent Worst
Every class is unfit to govern.
LORD ACTON

Class Unfit
False principles, which correspond with the bad as well as with the just aspirations of mankind, are a normal and necessary element in the social life of nations.
LORD ACTON

Aspiration Correspond Element Just Life Mankind Normal Principles Social
If some great catastrophe is not announced every morning, we feel a certain void. Nothing in the paper today, we sigh.
LORD ACTON

Anxiety Generous Morning Nothing Today Paper
A public man has no right to let his actions be determined by particular interests. He does the same thing as a judge who accepts a bribe. Like a judge he must consider what is right, not what is advantageous to a party or class.
LORD ACTON

Action Class Interest Men Particular Party Public Right
If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power…power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Absolute Corrupt Other Power Presumption Tend
Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.
LORD ACTON

Almost Always Authority Great Influence Men Stillmore
I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong.
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Accept Do Favorable Judge King Men Pope Power Presumption Unlike Wrong
Feudalism made land the measure and the master of all things.
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Feudalism Land Made Master Measure Real
No public character has ever stood the revelation of private utterance and correspondence.
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Character Correspondance Public Revelation Stood Utterance
Official truth is not actual truth.
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Actually Official Truth
Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force.
LORD ACTON

Authority Exist Force Liberty

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

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

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