Some quotations for the day on the subject:
The good citizen will demand liberty for himself, and as a matter of pride he will see to it that others receive the liberty which he thus claims as his own. Probably the best test of true love of liberty in any country is the way in which minorities are treated in that country.
— Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) US President (1901-1909); “Citizenship in a Republic,” address, Sorbonne (23 Apr 1910) #
God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.
— Daniel Webster (1782-1852) American statesman, lawyer, orator; Speech (3 Jun 1834) #
Liberty not only means that the individual as both the opportunity and the burden of choice; it also means that he must bear the consequences of his actions. … Liberty and responsibility are inseparable.
— Friedrich A. Hayek (1899-1992) Austrian-born economist and philosopher;
The Constitution of Liberty, 5.1 (1960) #
Timid men … prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of liberty.
— Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) US President (1801-09); Letter to Philip Mazzei (24 Apr 1796) #
The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.
— William Hazlitt (1778-1830) English writer; “The Times Newspaper,” Political Essays (1819) #
I agree with Roosevelt completely. Wish more people of his era and ours would think that way.
I have no proof that Mr. Webster is correct. It is not my experience or observation.
Mr. Hayek speaks truth for me, but I note too many forget the responsibility part.
I agree with the first part of Hazlitt’s statement, but the second phrase is rather ambiguous. Too bad he can’t be hauled up to clarify the matter!