“Of America it would ill beseem any Englishman, and me perhaps as little as another, to speak unkindly, to speak unpatriotically, if any of us even felt so. Sure enough, America is a great, and in many respects a blessed and hopeful phenomenon. Sure enough, these hardy millions of Anglosaxon men prove themselves worthy of their genealogy… But as to a Model Republic, or a model anything, the wise among themselves know too well that there is nothing to be said… Their Constitution, such as it may be, was made here, not there… Cease to brag to me of America, and its model institutions and constitutions.”

—  Thomas Carlyle

Latter Day Pamphlets http://www.ecn.bris.ac.uk/het/carlyle/latter.htm, No. 1 (1850), p. 23, 24. <br class="br">1850s

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Of America it would ill beseem any Englishman, and me perhaps as little as another, to speak unkindly, to speak unpatri…" by Thomas Carlyle?
Thomas Carlyle photo
Thomas Carlyle481
Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian… 1795–1881

Related quotes

Thomas Carlyle photo

“Sure enough, America is a great, and in many respects a blessed and hopeful phenomenon. Sure enough, these hardy millions of Anglo-Saxon men prove themselves worthy of their genealogy; and, with the axe and plough and hammer, if not yet with any much finer kind of implements, are triumphantly clearing out wide spaces, seedfields for the sustenance and refuge of mankind, arenas for the future history of the world; doing, in their day and generation, a creditable and cheering feat under the sun. But as to a Model Republic, or a model anything, the wise among themselves know too well that there is nothing to be said.”

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher

1850s, Latter-Day Pamphlets (1850), The Present Time (February 1, 1850)

“Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others.”

Edward Abbey (1927–1989) American author and essayist

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness (Vox Clamantis in Deserto) (1990)

“Expletives serve opinions well which are not sure enough of themselves to risk expression in restrained language.”

Henry S. Haskins (1875–1957)

Source: Meditations in Wall Street (1940), p. 100

Hassan Rouhani photo

“Generally speaking, America is not keen on independent countries. America is not keen on people's freedom. America is keen on countries that completely surrender themselves and act according to America's demands.”

Hassan Rouhani (1948) 7th President of Islamic Republic of Iran

&quot;Exclusive Interview with Iranian Adviser&quot; http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132082&amp;page=1&amp;singlePage=true, ABC News, (September 12, 2002)

Anton Chekhov photo

“If there's any illness for which people offer many remedies, you may be sure that particular illness is incurable, I think.”

Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) Russian dramatist, author and physician

Act I
The Cherry Orchard (1904)

Paul Krugman photo

“Many of those who reject the idea of economic models are ill-informed or even (perhaps unconsciously) intellectually dishonest.”

Paul Krugman (1953) American economist

Development, Geography, and Economic Theory (1995), Ch. 3. Models and Metaphors

Alexander McCall Smith photo

“They are a very great boon to mankind, dentists,’ said Isabel. ‘And I’m not sure that we are grateful enough to them. I’m not sure that we even bother to thank them.’ She paused. Were there any statues of dentists? She thought not. And yet there should be.”

Alexander McCall Smith book The Careful Use of Compliments

The Careful Use of Compliments, chapter 8.
The Sunday Philosophy Club series

Mary McCarthy photo

“The Florentines, who were incapable of ruling themselves, produced a great theorist of government: Machiavelli. The Venetians had no theorists and evolved a model Republic.”

Mary McCarthy (1912–1989) American writer

Source: Venice Observed (1956), Ch. 6

“How many great problems have gone unsolved because men didn't know enough, or have enough faith in the creative process and in themselves, to let go for the whole mind to work at it?”

Daniel Keyes book Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon (1966)

Michael Ignatieff photo

“Some voices are calling on America to circle the wagons. Some are even saying that our enemies do worse, so we should respond in kind. The problem here is that this is America. This is a constitutional republic based on the rule of law and equal respect for all persons. We can’t pretend that we can bend the rules any which way.”

Michael Ignatieff (1947) professor at Harvard Kennedy School and former Canadian politician

From "Living Fearlessly in a Fearless World" Ignatieff Commencement Address to Whitman College (USA), 2004

Related topics