James Anthony Froude Quote 

"English character and English freedom depend comparatively little on
the form which the Constitution assumes at Westminster. A centralised
democracy may be as tyrannical as an absolute monarch; and if the vigour
of the nation is to continue unimpaired, each individual, each family,
each district, must preserve as far as possible its independence, its
self-completeness, its powers and its privilege to manage its own
affairs and think its own thoughts."

by:
James Anthony Froude
(1818-1894) British author and historian
Source:
Short Studies on Great Subjects, 1872
Categories:
 
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Reader comments about this quote:
The Truth of this statement and the importance of it's message is imperitive to the healthy state and sovereignty of a self governing people.
 -- KS, Queensbury		 
Individual liberty, justice, equal representation, all those good things, are not ideas to be believed in, they are integral parts of the fabric of life, to be lived and practiced and fought for by the common man, every single day, if not, they will be taken away, regardless of the form of government.
 -- Simon, Deep cover, BC, Canada		 
This is why the right to bear arms (and to act in self defense) is a vital part of the Bill of Rights, I see now, in England that persons may be allowed to have guns to defend themselves and their property from persons with malicious or criminal intent. Indee, in the early 1900s virtually every one (8 of 10) citizens on the streets of London carried a pistol - and there was hardly any crime at all. A lesson from history.
 -- john-douglas, nassau		 
We talk a lot about our rights but little about independence. Without independence and self-reliance, our 'rights' are merely government privileges and licence.
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
This is the basis of our system. Unfortunately we keep transferring the responsibilities up the ladder. Eventually all rights and responsibilities will be at the top and we will be truly at the bottom.
 -- warren, olathe		 
I've been thinking about how much individuals acting totally alone can screw things up. Thus a man on one side of the mountain kills as much game as he desires and a man on the other side does the same thing. They may not even know each other exist. They meet one day and discuss the dwindling game situation, and assuming they are able to avoid killing each other they form a committee to keep track, regualte and make rules on this issue. Thus the first government is formed. Read today about the near extinction of fur bearing animals and salmon in Alaska around 1900. The U.S. government stepped in and eventually got agreements with Japan and Russia and turned things around. It is amazing what people acting in CONCERT can accomplish. If you label this socialism versus individuality so be it. Labels are a problem with me. Maybe this beauty and harmony that people acting together can cause is the reason a symphony orchestra performance is called a CONCERT or referred to as performing IN CONCERT. If we could only see things not solely individually but sometimes as divinity does.
 -- Bruce, 'Bama		 
When the collective, (democracy, socialism, communism, progressivism, etc.) looses its understanding that it is nothing more than a mere assembly of individual sovereigns (defining issues by majority / minority or might makes right), tyranny and despotism are born. When an absolute monarch acts contrary to the inalienable rights of the individual, it is also despotism and tyranny.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
 -- jim k, austin 
 -- J Carlton, Calgary 
Yes, yes, yes.
 -- RBESRQ		 
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