The brave man, inattentive to his duty, is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts her in the hour of danger.
Andrew JacksonRead
Freemasonry is an ancient and respectable institution, embracing individuals of every nation, of every religion, and of every condition in life. Wealth, power and talents are not necessary to the person of a Freemason. An unblemished character and a virtuous conduct are the only qualifications for admission into the Order.
Interpretation
Freemasonry values moral character over social status or wealth.
Andrew Jackson's quote emphasizes that Freemasonry is an inclusive institution that transcends social barriers such as nationality, religion, and economic status. The core values that determine one's worthiness for membership are moral integrity and virtuous behavior, rather than material possessions or social power, highlighting the importance of character in human relationships and societies.
In practice
In a speech about community service, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of moral character.
The brave man, inattentive to his duty, is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts her in the hour of danger.
The planter, the farmer, the mechanic, and the laborer...form the great body of the people of the United States they are the bone and sinew of the country men who love liberty and desire nothing but equal rights and equal laws.
There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.
The great constitutional corrective in the hands of the people against usurpation of power, or corruption by their agents is the right of suffrage; and this when used with calmness and deliberation will prove strong enough.
I feel in the depths of my soul that it is the highest, most sacred, and most irreversible part of my obligation to preserve the union of these states, although it may cost me my life.
When death comes, he respects neither age nor merit. He sweeps from the earthly existence the sick and the strong, the rich and the poor, and should teach us to live to be prepared for death.
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.
Perhaps his might be one of the natures where a wise estimate of consequences is fused in the fires of that passionate belief which determines the consequences it believes in.
What is the most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine.
War is mankind's most tragic and stupid folly; to seek or advise its deliberate provocation is a black crime against all men.
I have these realistic dreams and snap wide awake in the middle of the night. And for a while I can't work out what's real and what isn't... That kind of feeling. Do you have any idea what I'm saying?
For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
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