His face is livid, gaunt his whole body, his breath is green with gall; his tongue drips poison.
John Quincy AdamsRead
Where annual elections end where slavery begins.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the absence of elections leads to oppression and a lack of freedom.
John Quincy Adams highlights the essential role that annual elections play in safeguarding liberty and preventing tyranny. By stating that where elections cease, slavery begins, he emphasizes that democratic processes are foundational to a free society, and without them, individuals risk losing their rights and autonomy.
Themes
ElectionsFreedomSlaveryDemocracyTyranny
In practice
Example use cases
During a political debate, you can use this quote to emphasize the importance of voting rights.
More from John Quincy Adams
All quotes βAlways vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.
John Quincy AdamsRead
It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice: for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin?
John Quincy AdamsRead
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
John Quincy AdamsRead
I have no predilection for unpopularity as such, but I hold it much preferable to the popularity of a day, which perishes with the transient topic upon which it is grounded.
John Quincy AdamsRead
According to the Stoics, all vice was resolvable into folly: according to the Christian principle, it is all the effect of weakness.
John Quincy AdamsRead
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