The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Charles Evans HughesRead
The peril of this Nation is not in any foreign foe! We, the people, are its power, its peril, and its hope.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The nation's challenges stem from within its own people rather than external threats.
Charles Evans Hughes emphasizes that the true danger to a nation does not come from outside adversaries but from the people themselves. He suggests that the strength and potential for change lie in the populace, highlighting their responsibility as the source of both hope and peril for the nation.
Themes
NationPowerPeopleResponsibilityHope
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about civic responsibility, one might use this quote to emphasize the role of citizens in shaping their nation's future.
More from Charles Evans Hughes
All quotes →Dissents are appeals to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of another day.
Charles Evans HughesRead
While democracy must have its organizations and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.
Charles Evans HughesRead
Every young man should aim at independence and should prepare himself for a vocation; above all, he should so manage his life that the steps of his progress are taken without improper aids; that he calls no one master, that he does not win or deserve the reputation of being a tool of others, and that if called to public service he may assume its duties with the satisfaction of knowing that he is free to rise to the height of his opportunity.
Charles Evans HughesRead
It is the essence of the institutions of liberty that it be recognized that guilt is personal and cannot be attributed to the holding of opinions or to mere intent in the absence of overt acts.
Charles Evans HughesRead
Our institutions were not devised to bring about uniformity of opinion; if they had we might well abandon hope. It is important to remember, as has well been said, 'the essential characteristic of true liberty is that under its shelter many different types of life and character and opinion and belief can develop unmolested and unobstructed.'
Charles Evans HughesRead
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