Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of preserving freedom and justice for future generations.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson passionately advocates for the need to uphold the freedoms that were fought for by our ancestors. He argues that it is our moral obligation to not surrender our liberty, as it is not only a gift from those who came before us but also a right that must be safeguarded for those who will come after us. This highlights a sense of responsibility towards both history and future generations.
In practice
In a speech about civil rights, you might quote Jefferson to inspire your audience to fight for freedom.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
I had lots of hurt and lots of pain, lots of woundedness, bruises, broken heartedness in my life. I was abused sexually by my father, abused mentally, emotionally. My mom didn't know what to do about it, and she was being hurt in the process. So she just didn't deal with it. And I can guarantee you, just because you don't deal with something, that doesn't make it go away.
The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.
My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring
We all know fear. But passion makes us fearless.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall with our English dead.
You are so afraid of losing your moral sense that you are not willing to take it through anything more dangerous than a mud-puddle.
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