Woodrow Wilson Quote 


"Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of government.
The history of liberty is the history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history
of the limitation of governmental power,
not the increase of it."

by:
Woodrow Wilson
(1856-1924) 28th US President
Date:
Speech, 1912
Categories:
 
Bookmark and Share

Reader comments about this quote:
10 stars if it were possible, ahhh that the understanding and application of such was reality.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
I have mixed feelings about this one - I'll take honorable liberty from any quarter, though I do agree with the last statement.
 -- Robert, Sarasota		 
HERE HERE!!!!
 -- Bob, Eugene OR.		 
It's ironic this came from Woodrow Wilson, champion of the income tax and banana republics. If only he had practiced what he preached.
 -- Ken, Allyn, WA		 
 -- J Carlton, Calgary 
Tell this to the French, Iraq'is, Afghans, and American slaves during the Civil War, all of whom were liberated by government soldiers. Don't tell it to me who was born in an America liberated by The Continental Congress and its rag tag government army led by Geo Washington. The world is full of images of cheering throngs who welcomed relief from the government against tyranny. Woodrow is being a little shallow here and non-thinking. I understand the other point of view that government is always the problem but that is a shallow and unthinking point of view. PS: Tell it to the Southern black children who were able to go to school in freedom and liberty thanks to the government.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
Completely on your own planet aren't you Waff?
 -- J Carlton, Calgary		 
What hypocrisy from the govcrim who gave us WWI, a Federal Income Tax/IRS, the Federal Reserve banksters, etc., Great quote though we are going the other way.
 -- libertyjack, anywhere, uSA		 
Waff, tell the Jews in Nazi Germany, the millions in Stalins slave labor camps, the thousands in Fidels prisons, the people in Rawanda being slaughtered, the millions starving to death in N Korea, etc, tell them about freedom and liberty thanks to the government. Our Bill of Rights was designed to protect us against the excesses of government, which are legend.
 -- jim k, austin		 
 -- Brethrenunited 
Waffler, just a quick couple of questions. Did the French, Iraqis, Afghans, and American slaves have inalienable rights that were being oppressed by a government before military intervention by a foreign power? What is the source of freedom and liberty? Is liberty endowed by our Creator or, is liberty what the majority with the biggest guns says it is?
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
It's true that when a people create a government above them they are asking it to govern them wisely and with justice. And then the inevitable happens. The government, because of it's existence as a tool of control is infiltrated by those who don't care for anyone but themselves and their cronies. History repeats itself again and again and again and..... Will the cycle ever be broken? Our forefathers broke it in grand style with the means to keep it broken. The cycle began again and America jumped on the bandwagon with nary a thought but the wealth they could get from the system. Now we are paying for our greed. Either mankind will break the cycle for good this time or die trying because this time the whole world is at stake because of its interdependancy through the world economic system. Not just a portion of it or the "known" world. This is a unique situation with technology not had in the past. The possible ramifications of it are not known to us so it won't be the average despotism. New techniques of slavery will bring the art of enslavement to levels we can only imagine until the reality of them take effect. Won't that be exciting Waff? Just what you've been wanting for America.
 -- Anon		 
Mike we think it is endowed by our creator and thus we enforce it. As no one has ever been to heaven and returned we have no direct knowledge of heaven or of inalienable rights creation. It is a construction and a good construction. I love it. If you cannot answer your simplistic questions you have a real thinking problem and know nothing of histroy.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
Waffler, the simplistic question was for a simpleton that cannot follow the concept through to fruition. I have answered the question and didn't need to go to heaven to observe the cause and effects of history. I understand Natural Law and rights as they pertain to life, liberty and property. I understand the need for a limited representative republic defined by a hard and fast Constitution in maintaining individual rights. If rights are inalienably endowed from a Creator (a faculty of birth) then they cannot be altered or eliminated by a collective or democracy's majority. More than just the Judeo-Christian experience, most religions expound on inalienable rights apart from the/their political application's denial thereof. I was just wondering how your split personality (-;duality of mental totalitarianism;-) justified inalienable rights with the majority's right to doll out its prejudice and despotism (calling them rights) as circumstance necessitates.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Waffler, I'm still laughing at your heaven story. You evidently have to do a one on one - face to face with the Sovereign of the Universe to even get a glimpse of what most on this blog see in day to day life. hmm
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Anon you stated your analytical problem of perception in your very first sentence and a problem that many like Mike and others seem to have. You stated, "when people create a government above them". This has never happened in the USA, the government is not above us. the government is US. Do you vote for city, state, and national legislators and executives or don't you? If you do whoever wins is of by and for the people. Bitch all you want but you have had your say. Now if you do not like representative democracy which it appears that you don't thus I assume that you would like a more direct democracy where you could vote on any issue before the public. I would accept that with some reservations. Many on this site would prefer a government of Natural Law dictated by I know not whom.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
 -- T Edwards, Houston 
It is amazingly ironic that this GREAT quote came from a liberal demonrat. (misspelling intentional)
 -- Ken, Williams Bay, WI.		 
Waffler, regarding your last comment, yeah . . . you seem to forget that is who has enslaved them in the first place. Oh yes, and I am a veteran, so you can save the propoganda speech. Thx.
 -- Jennifer Huber, Buffalo, NY		 
Bookmark and Share
Rate this quote!
How many stars?
0
1
2
3
4
5
 
What do YOU think?
Your name:
Your town:
    CLICK JUST ONCE!

  
Get a Quote-A-Day! Free!
Liberty Quotes sent to your mail box.
Email:
 
This site is supported
by donors like you!

More Quotations

Read the Bills Act Coalition
Quotes & Quotations - Send This Quote to a Friend

© 1998-2008 Liberty-Tree.ca