The form of government and the condition of society must always correspond. Social equality is therefore a postulate of pure democracy. Lord Acton More Quotes by Lord Acton More Quotes From 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 powerfulmothercountry The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority. Lord Acton majority-ruledemocracies-haveevil There is not a soul who does not have to beg alms of another, either a smile, a handshake, or a fond eye. Lord Acton smileeyesoul When you perceive a truth, look for the balancing truth. Lord Acton perceivelooks Every class is unfit to govern. Lord Acton class The man who prefers his country before any other duty shows the same spirit as the man who surrenders every right to the state. They both deny that right is superior to authority. Lord Acton ethosmencountry No public character has ever stood the revelation of private utterance and correspondence. Lord Acton revelationsutterancecharacter Ink was not invented to express our real feelings. Lord Acton inkrealfeelings Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites. Lord Acton delightbook Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority... Lord Acton influence-and-powerexercisemen The barbarians, who possessed no books, no secular knowledge, no education, except in the schools of the clergy, and who had scarcely acquired the rudiments of religious instruction, turned with childlike attachment to men whose minds were stored with the knowledge of Scripture, of Cicero, of St. Augustine; and in the scanty world of their ideas, the Church was felt to be something infinitely vaster, stronger, holier than their newly founded States. Lord Acton religiousbookschool 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 generous-spiritpowerfulcountry Absolute power demoralizes. Lord Acton absolute-powerabsolutes The strong man with the dagger is followed by the weak man with the sponge. Lord Acton weak-manstrongmen The principle of the Inquisition was murderous. . . . The popes were not only murderers in the great style, but they also made murder a legal basis of the Christian Church and a condition of salvation. Lord Acton stylechristianreligion The test of liberty is the position and security of minorities. Lord Acton minoritiestestsliberty The mills of God grind slowly. Lord Acton retributionexactnessgrind A government does not desire its powers to be strictly defined, but the subjects require the line to be drawn with increasing precision. Lord Acton governmentdoedesire There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion. Lord Acton ignorancesimpletwo From the absolute will of an entire people there is no appeal, no redemption, no refuge but treason. Lord Acton redemptionappealspeople
