“They waste life in what are called good resolutions—partial efforts at reformation, feebly commenced, heartlessly conducted, and hopelessly concluded.”
Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 384.
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Charles Maturin4
Irish writer 1782–1824Related quotes
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764–1845) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Speech in the House of Commons (17 May 1794), reported in The Parliamentary History of England, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1803. Vol. XXXI (London: 1818), pp. 532-533.
1790s
Bruce Wilshire (1932–2015) American philosopher
Source: Fashionable Nihilism (2002), p. xii
“The Reform party is much closer to what you would call conservative Republican.”
Stephen Harper (1959) 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)
Richard Hofstadter (1916–1970) American historian
Source: The Age of Reform: from Bryan to F.D.R. (1955), Chapter IV, part I, p. 132
Giuseppe Mazzini (1805–1872) Italian patriot, politician and philosopher
Watchword for the Roman Republic (1849)
William Lloyd Garrison (1805–1879) American journalist
Introductory Remarks
Thoughts on African Colonization (1832)
Context: Little boldness is needed to assail the opinions and practices of notoriously wicked men; but to rebuke great and good men for their conduct, and to impeach their discernment, is the highest effort of moral courage. The great mass of mankind shun the labor and responsibility of forming opinions for themselves. The question is not — what is true? but — what is popular? Not — what does God say? but — what says the public? Not — what is my opinion? but — what do others believe?