{"id":26534,"date":"2012-02-20T14:07:58","date_gmt":"2012-02-20T21:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=26534"},"modified":"2012-02-20T14:07:58","modified_gmt":"2012-02-20T21:07:58","slug":"happy-presidents-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/02\/20\/happy-presidents-day.html","title":{"rendered":"Happy Presidents Day!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though I have a wide array of presidential quotations in my WIST<\/a> database, I’ll focus on ones from the two presidents whose birthdays got smooshed together to make a generic “Presidents Day” here in the US.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>First, George Washington<\/a>:<\/p>\n

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
\n— \u201cLetter to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport,\u201d Rhode Island (17 Aug 1790)<\/p>\n

The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations And Religions; whom we shall wellcome to a participation of all our rights and previleges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.
\n— \u201cLetter to the members of the Volunteer Association and other Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Ireland who have lately arrived in the City of New York\u201d (2 Dec 1783)<\/p>\n

Should, hereafter, those incited by the lust of power and prompted by the Supineness or venality of their Constituents, overleap the known barriers of this Constitution and violate the unalienable rights of humanity: it will only serve to shew, that no compact among men (however provident in its construction and sacred in its ratification) can be pronounced everlasting and inviolable, and if I may so express myself, that no Wall of words, that no mound of parchm[en]t can be so formed as to stand against the sweeping torrent of boundless ambition on the side, aided by the sapping current of corrupted morals on the other.
\n—\u00a0First Inaugural Address, draft (Apr 1789)<\/p>\n

While we are contending for our own Liberty, we should be very cautious of violating the Rights of Conscience in others, ever considering that God alone is the Judge of the Hearts of Men, and to him only in this Case, they are answerable.
\n— Letter to Col. Benedict Arnold (14 Sep 1775)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>And now Abe Lincoln<\/a>, who is eminently more quotable (albeit a lot of his quotations are anecdotal), so I won’t be able to keep the numbers down to George’s:<\/p>\n

As I would not be a\u00a0slave<\/em>, so I would not be a\u00a0master<\/em>. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.
\n— \u201cOn Slavery and Democracy\u201d (fragment) (1858?)<\/p>\n

I do the very best I know how \u2014 the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won\u2019t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.
\n— Attributed, in Francis Carpenter,\u00a0Six Months at the White House<\/em>\u00a0(1867)<\/p>\n

The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep\u2019s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty.
\n— Attributed<\/p>\n

People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.
\n— Attributed by a number of folks to Lincoln, as a polite comment about a book on spiritualism, a very sentimental story, or a set of poems presented to him by their author.<\/p>\n

I am not at all concerned about that, for I know that the Lord is\u00a0always\u00a0<\/em>on the side of the\u00a0right;<\/em>\u00a0but, it is my constant anxiety and prayer that\u00a0I,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0this nation,<\/em>\u00a0should be on the Lord\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0side.
\n<\/em>— <\/em>Attributed 1862 statement to a clergyman who said he hoped the Lord was on their side.\u00a0In\u00a0 Francis B. Carpenter,\u00a0Six Months at the White House with Abraham Lincoln\u00a0<\/em>(1867)<\/p>\n

A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations \u2026 is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it does of necessity fly to anarchy or to despotism.
\n— First Inaugural Address (1861)<\/p>\n

As a nation we began by declaring that \u201call men are created equal.\u201d We now practically read it \u201call men are created equal, except Negroes.\u201d When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read \u201call men are created equal, except Negroes and foreigners and Catholics.\u201d When it comes to this, I shall prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty \u2014 to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.
\n— Letter (1855)<\/p>\n

This is a world of compensation; and he who would be no slave must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and, under a just God, cannot long retain it.
\n— Letter to H. L. Pierce\u00a0et al.<\/em>\u00a0(6 Apr 1859)<\/p>\n

Must a government, of necessity, be too\u00a0strong<\/em>\u00a0for the liberties of its own people, or too\u00a0weak<\/em>\u00a0to maintain its own existence?
\n— Message to Congress (4 Jul 1861)<\/p>\n

The true rule, in determining to embrace, or reject any thing, is not whether it haveany\u00a0<\/em>evil in it; but whether it have more of evil, than of good. There are few thingswholly\u00a0<\/em>evil, or\u00a0wholly\u00a0<\/em>good. Almost every thing, especially of governmental policy, is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgment of the preponderance between them is continually demanded.
\n— Remarks in the House of Representatives (20 Jun 1848)<\/p>\n

I am approached with the most opposite opinions and advice, and that by religious men, who are equally certain that they represent the Divine will. I am sure that either the one or the other class is mistaken in the belief, and perhaps in some respects both. I hope it will not be irreverent for me to say that if it is probable that God would reveal his will to others, on a point so connected with my duty, it might be supposed he would reveal it directly to me; for, unless I am more deceived in myself than I often am, it is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence in this matter.\u00a0And if I can learn what it is I will do it! \u00a0<\/em>These are not, however, the days of miracles, and I suppose it will be granted that I am not to expect a direct revelation. I must study the plain physical facts of the case, ascertain what is possible and learn what appears to be wise and right. The subject is difficult, and good men do not agree.
\n— \u00a0Reply to Emancipation Memorial Presented by Chicago Christians of All Denominations (13 Sep 1862)<\/p>\n

What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength of our gallant and disciplined army. These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of them may be turned against our liberties, without making us stronger or weaker for the struggle. Our reliance is in the\u00a0love of liberty\u00a0<\/em>which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, every where. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.
\n— Speech, Edwardsville, Illinois (11 Sep 1858)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Happy Presidents Day!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Though I have a wide array of presidential quotations in my WIST database, I’ll focus on ones from the two presidents whose birthdays got smooshed together to make a generic “Presidents Day” here in the US. First, George Washington: It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence … Continue reading “Happy Presidents Day!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[68,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holidays","category-wist"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/washington.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26557,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/02\/21\/quotations-damn-quotations-and-statistics.html","url_meta":{"origin":26534,"position":0},"title":"Quotations, Damn Quotations, and Statistics","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 21-Feb-12 3:00pm","format":false,"excerpt":"My annual checkpoint for my \"WIST\" (Wish I'd Said That) quotations site (http:\/\/wist.info). It's ... a hobby. #ddtb Embedded Link ~~Admin - Doing the Numbers: 2\/2012 | WIST Quotations Another good year of WIST since I last ran these (back last March). Let's look at the historical count:Another good, steady\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13393,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2009\/01\/01\/quotes_by_the_numbers.html","url_meta":{"origin":26534,"position":1},"title":"Quotes by the numbers","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 1-Jan-09 11:20pm","format":false,"excerpt":"I went and ran the numbers on my quotations database, WIST, yesterday, the first time since February 2007.\u00a0 I'm currently at 6600 quotations, vs. the 5100 I was at back...","rel":"","context":"In "Quotations (WIST)"","block_context":{"text":"Quotations (WIST)","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/wist"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11431,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2007\/08\/29\/wist_report.html","url_meta":{"origin":26534,"position":2},"title":"WIST report","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 29-Aug-07 8:57pm","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a bit over a month since I rebooted the WIST (my quotations database) site, and it's going well -- visits are up decently, and I've been getting...","rel":"","context":"In "Quotations (WIST)"","block_context":{"text":"Quotations (WIST)","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/wist"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41253,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/03\/01\/on-the-counting-of-quotations.html","url_meta":{"origin":26534,"position":3},"title":"On the Counting of Quotations","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 1-Mar-14 12:57pm","format":false,"excerpt":"In my copious free time I maintain a quotations blog. And each year I run the numbers, look at what's most popular, etc. \u00a0And ... here they are.\ufeff ~~Admin - Doing the Numbers: 3\/2014 | WIST Another year, another \"State of the WIST\" post. I last ran this report a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5913,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/06\/30\/letter_writing.html","url_meta":{"origin":26534,"position":4},"title":"Letter-writing","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 30-Jun-04 11:08am","format":false,"excerpt":"Post up the most recent versions of quote-by-authors-whose-last-names-begin-with-the-letters A-F in my WIST quotations database. Yee-hah....","rel":"","context":"In "Quotations (WIST)"","block_context":{"text":"Quotations (WIST)","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/wist"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37947,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2013\/06\/30\/quotations-blogs-updates.html","url_meta":{"origin":26534,"position":5},"title":"Quotations! Blogs! Updates!","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 30-Jun-13 2:46pm","format":false,"excerpt":"I've updated the template for my WIST (\"Wish I'd Said That!\") blog (http:\/\/wist.info), where I indulge in my quotation collecting obsession hobby. The old format had gotten a bit long in the tooth, and while I'm not 100% happy with how it now looks, it's a darned sight better and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}