The whole fabric of southern society must be changed, and never can it be done if this opportunity is lost. Without this, this government can never be, as it never has been, a true republic.
Thaddeus StevensRead
I answer, because I live among men and not among angels.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of human interaction and the necessity of engaging with the complexities of human society.
Thaddeus Stevens' quote highlights the reality of living in a human world full of imperfections rather than an idealized space of perfection, symbolized by angels. It suggests that our decisions and actions are motivated by the complexities, struggles, and responsibilities we have toward one another as social beings.
Themes
HumanityInteractionSocietyImperfectionReality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of addressing the needs of people in society.
More from Thaddeus Stevens
All quotes βI can never acknowledge the right of slavery. I will bow down to no deity however worshipped by professing Christians - however dignified by the name of the Goddess of Liberty, whose footstool is the crushed necks of the groaning millions, and who rejoices in the resoundings of the tyrant's lash, and the cries of his tortured victims.
Thaddeus StevensRead
No government can be free that does not allow all its citizens to participate in the formation and execution of her laws.
Thaddeus StevensRead
The freedom of a government does not depend on the quality of its laws, but upon the power that has the right to create them.
Thaddeus StevensRead
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