The most hateful torment for men is to have knowledge of everything but power over nothing.

It is a certain sign of a wise government and proceeding, when it can hold men’s hearts by hopes, when it cannot by satisfaction.

He may be a patriot for Austria, but the question is whether he is a patriot for me.

I say violence is necessary. It is as American as cherry pie.

You have all the characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner.

Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense—nonsense upon stilts.

What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham.

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.

I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right.

Every country has the government it deserves.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.