. . . is it to be understood that the principles of the Declaration of Independence bear no relation to half of the human race? Harriet Martineau More Quotes by Harriet Martineau More Quotes From Harriet Martineau Moral excellence has no regard to classes and professions. Harriet Martineau moral excellence class The lesson taught us by these kindly commentators on my present experience is that dogmatic faith compels the best minds and hearts to narrowness and insolence. Harriet Martineau taught-us mind heart The clergy complain of the enormous spread of bold books, from the infidel tract to the latest handling of the miracle question. Harriet Martineau atheism miracle book The sick-room becomes the scene of intense convictions; and among these, none, it seems to me, is more distinct and powerful than that of the permanent nature of good, and the transient nature of evil. Harriet Martineau sick powerful evil [I] wish that the land-tax went a little more according to situation than it does. 'Tis really ridiculous, how one has to pay five times as much as another, without any reason that ever I heard tell. Harriet Martineau land wish doe Of tobacco and its consequences, I will say nothing but that the practice is at too bad a pass to leave hope that anything that could be said in books would work a cure. If the floors of boarding-houses, and the decks of steam-boats, and the carpets of the Capitol, do not sicken the Americans into a reform; if the warnings of physicians are of no avail, what remains to be said? I dismiss the nauseous subject. Harriet Martineau practice house book We do not believe in immortality because we can't prove it, but we try to prove it because we cannot help believing it. Harriet Martineau helping trying believe There are always principles to be depended upon in this matter of taxation ... Amidst the inconsistent, the bewildering representations offered, a certain number must be in accordance with true principles. Harriet Martineau taxation principles numbers When once experience taught me that I could work when I chose, and within a quarter of an hour of my determining to do so, I was relieved, in a great measure, from those embarrassments and depressions which I see afflicting many an author who waits for a mood instead of summoning it, and is the sport, instead of the master, of his own impressions and ideas. Harriet Martineau waiting sports ideas I have suffered, like other writers, from indolence, irresolution, distaste to my work, absence of 'inspiration,' and all that: but I have also found that sitting down, however reluctantly, with the pen in my hand, I have never worked for one quarter of an hour without finding myself in full train. Harriet Martineau sitting-down inspiration hands Authorship has never been with me a matter of choice. I have not done it for amusement, or for money, or for fame, or for any reason but because I could not help it. Harriet Martineau amusement choices done It is not quite true that there are no good letters written in America: among my own circle of correspondents there, there are ladies and gentlemen whose letters would stand a comparison with any for frankness, grace, and epistolary beauty of every kind. But I am not aware of any medium between this excellence and the boarding-school insignificance which characterizes the rest. Harriet Martineau circles america school I want to be a free rover on the breezy common of the universe. Harriet Martineau freedom want common For my own part, I had rather suffer any inconvenience from having to work occasionally in chambers and kitchenthan witness the subservience in which the menial class is held in Europe. Harriet Martineau suffering class europe I loved, as I still love, the most monotonous life possible. Harriet Martineau monotonous monotonous-life stills As new discoveries are causing all-penetrating physical lights so to abound as that, as has been said, we shall soon not know where in the world to get any darkness, so our new facilities for every sort of communication work to reduce privacy much within its former limits. Harriet Martineau communication light discovery In the United States, as elsewhere, there are, and have always been, two parties in politics ... It is remarkable how nearly their positive statements of political doctrine agree, while they differ in almost every possible application of their common principles. Harriet Martineau political party two The habit of dwelling on the past, has a narrowing as well as a debilitating influence. Behind us, there is a small, - an almost insignificant measure of time; before us, there is an eternity. It is the natural tendency of the mind to magnify the one, and to diminish the other. Harriet Martineau perspective dwelling past Religion is a temper, not a pursuit. Harriet Martineau atheism literature religion The instruction furnished is not good enough for the youth of such a country ... There is not even any systematic instruction given on political morals: an enormous deficiency in a republic. Harriet Martineau political education country
