Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster
Daniel Websterwas an American statesman who twice served in the United States House of Representatives, representing New Hampshireand Massachusetts, served as a U.S. Senator from Massachusettsand was twice the United States Secretary of State, under Presidents William Henry Harrison and John Tylerand Millard Fillmore. Along with James G. Blaine, he is one of only two people who have served as Secretary of State under three presidents. He also sought the Whig Party nomination for President three times: in 1836, 1840...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth18 January 1782
CitySalisbury, NH
CountryUnited States of America
Nothing is more deceptive or more dangerous than the pretence of a desire to simplify government. The simplest governments are despotisms; the next simplest, limited monarchies; but all republics, all governments of law, must impose numerous limitations and qualifications of authority, and give many positive and many qualified rights.
If the States were not left to leave the Union when their rights were interfered with, the government would have been National, but the Convention refused to baptize it by that name.
Liberty exists in proportion to wholesome restraint; the more restraint on others to keep off from us, the more liberty we have.
If the Union was formed by accession of States then the Union may be dissolved by the secession of States.
We are bound to maintain public liberty, and, by the example of our own systems, to convince the world that order and law, religion and morality, the rights of conscience, the rights of persons, and the rights of property, may all be preserved and secured, in the most perfect manner, by a government entirely and purely elective. If we fail in this, our disaster will be significant, and will furnish an argument, stronger than has yet been found, in support of those opinions which maintain that government can rest safely on nothing but power and coercion.
There is no refuge from confession but suicide; and suicide is confession.
On the diffusion of education among the people rest the preservation and perpetuation of our free institutions.
A disordered currency is one of the greatest political evils.
We have been taught to regard a representative of the people as a sentinel on the watch-tower of liberty.
Liberty exists in proportion to wholesome restraint.
How little do they see what really is, who frame their hasty judgment upon that which seems.
I was born an American; I will live an American; I shall die an American.
Converse, converse, CONVERSE, with living men, face to face, mind to mind-that is one of the best sources of knowledge.
There is something about men more capable of shaking despotic power than lightening, whirlwind, or earthquake, that is, the threatened indignation of the whole civilized world.