Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made—through disobedience and through rebellion.

I began revolution with eighty-two men. If I had to do it again, I do it with ten or fifteen and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action.

No one makes a revolution by himself, and there are some revolutions which humanity accomplishes without quite knowing how, because it is everybody who takes them in hand.

There is a kind of revolution of so general a character that it changes the mental tastes as well as the fortunes of the world.

To escape its wretched lot, the populace has three ways, two imaginary and one real. The first two are the rum shop and the church; the third is the social revolution.

Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny, they have only shifted it to another shoulder.

If there was ever a just war since the world began, it is this in which America is now engaged.

Revolutions are not made by men in spectacles.

To cast aside obedience, and by popular violence to incite revolt, is treason, not against man only, but against God.

Who draws his sword against his prince must throw away the scabbard.

And then, sir, there is this consideration: that if the abuse be enormous, nature will rise up and, claiming her original rights, overturn a corrupt political system.

All revolutions devour their own children.

Insurgents are like conquerors: they must go forward; the moment they are stopped, they are lost.