Charles Caleb Colton Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"Liberty will not descend to a people,
a people must raise themselves to liberty;
it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed."

by:	Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) English cleric, writer and collector
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Categories:	Liberty, Responsibility, Self-Determination
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Reader comments about this quote:

ahhh....sort of. Liberty is certainly a law that some want to live by and others not. Still, it doesn't need to be earned. Liberty is free. We must only claim it. -- Ben, Orem, UT 1
Since liberty is a gift from the Universal, there are plenty of people around who, not believing in such a power, claim it as their own to grant or deny. And so, if we want liberty, once we "claim" it, or earn it, we must defend it. -- Roxana, Olympia 1
I think the dichotomy here is between the word "people" and the "individual". Of course we are born with the gift of liberty from our Creator but improperly constructed society or institutions can deny us an interfere with our birthright. A people must earn as, by and for the group, before it can be effectually realized by the individual. A child in a strict Muslim or Christian or Jewish society are equally born with freedom but do any of them really have the effectual use of their birthright for example. -- Waffler, Smith 1 1
Unfortunatly, many people are quite willing to trade their liberties for security. With Nancy, Reed, and the gang in charge, we may soon have neither, -- jim k, Austin 1
Very good comments all, except Waffler. To make such a statement referencing an "effectual use of their birthright" (true in a most shallow / liberal / slave non-think kind of way) means you have no, zero, any concept of unalienable rights, freedom, liberty, law, or justice. -- Mike, Norwalk 1
Be patient with China. Now that the people there are gaining economic freedom-they will demand and get liberty soon. These two work hand-in-hand! -- cal, lewisville, tx 2
Do people under the Taliban have liberty my friend Mike, the Afghan poeple or some of them are working for and trying to earn the ability to practice their birthright, thanks for playing though. -- Waffler, Smith 1
Waffler, I don't know their system and I can't believe what the Amerikan media propagandizes about it. I'm absolutely sure some Afghan people are working hard to gain some or more freedom. I believe that freedom and liberty are an innate part of the human soul. Some succumb to slavery and call it wise or grown-up while others yearn and act upon that natural law birthright of liberty and freedom. The constitutionally guaranteed liberty and freedom lost in this country is the same that never was in Afghanistan. We who seek our birthright have a history and lawfully administered precedence here that they don't have there. So what's your point? -- Mike, Norwalk 1
"All men are created equal", and even those who are born under a regime where liberty is taken from them right at birth deep inside learn and understand that God gave them the right to "life, liberty and the pursue of happiness". In order to keep all these three elements those people must fight - and fight to win - so they will not lose the first. So many, instead of fighting to preserve their liberty, come and live in the United States... an easier solution to preserve God's gifts. -- Elisabeth, Astoria, NY
My point is that freedom and liberty has been progressive in this our country. The Declaration and the Constitution started us on a path that is not yet finished. When it was written people were enslaved, women were not free, Indians were sent on trails of tears. We have moe liberty today than we had then. We must keep working for it and earning it. When you guys talk about freedom you mean freedom from Washington, when I talk about freedom I include the freedom and liberty guaranteed by Washington, the Constitution which Washington enforces. -- Waffler, Smith 1
Without a doubt the first peopleto call themselves "Americans" earned the right to do so and paid for it in blood. They gave us the blue pront for a free and liberated society. Our task has been to expand the concept to include all Americans. Sadly though, with the backing and influence of International Bankers (The Fed et al) we have made only marginal progress. And rather than expanding rights for all, we have subjugated all in an equal fashion. More overall Liberty? Maybe. More compliance than ever before in American history? Certainly. The problem is a system perverted by crony capitalism and politicians who represent the elite to us and hand down policy as dictated by would be tyrants. Time once again to water the Liberty Tree. -- J Carlton, Calgary 1
Do you not think that US Constitution really does apply to all men? Including women? The job now is to keep it in tact, and follow the blueprint. As a developing country there were huge lumps and bumps and they were overcome. Now, however, we have citizens who pay no attention at all to US laws or to the fact that this is not a democracy (they always fail), but a republic. It is the progressives that are pushing the US into the pit of dispair and slavery. We must have honorable persons in the government. Right now 11% of our Congressmembers vote for your freedom and support the US Constitution, and only 4 % of the Senators do so according to 2009 legislative actions. That is a terrible record. We the people are asleep at the wheel....so if we go over into the pit, who will we blame? We can only earn liberty back if we sack those who are not honorable men/women. We know who they are: they are the ones who do not abide by their Oath of Office. -- aa, hb
There will always be a perpetual war upon Liberty by those with immense Power. Those that have 'ruled' for centuries understand the mentality of serfs and vassals. They are skilled in the domesticating and training of beasts of burden and know that humans are little different than cattle. There is nothing that these 'super-powers' do not attempt to control from birth to death, their hands are everywhere (how many of you men still have your foreskin?) They make 'laws' that bind us forever to their phoney script and scriptures. They claim power over our bodies, our labors, our properties, our children, even our souls and minds. This has been the way of the rulers for as long as history has been recorded. Only recently in the short history of America were these binds cut from Church and State, but the tendency is still there among those that are rich and powerful. We must always exercise our rights if we wish to have them. "Use it or lose it," is still the responsibility of life. -- E Archer, NYC 1
aa, a slight modification. The US Constitution applies to historically proven principles, natural law, and the sovereign's representatives (the government). Small distinction, HUGE results of application. It is the principles and law that apply to all humanity - men and women. (-; a little more legalese ;-) Waffler, your double speak out of both sides of your mouth is exposing you again. Under your definition of majority rule, those selfish birthright seekers in Afghanistan should just grow the hell up and submit to the tyranny (Waffler World freedom). -- Mike, Norwalk
I love alwasy getting honorable mention by Mikey of Norwal. If he did not have me to repsond to the only thing he would say would be, "We hold these truths to be self evident." I don't know if I have ever conversed or communicated with a more shallow dullard than Mikey of Norwalk. But I do appreciate the honorable mention you give to my words. -- Waffler, Smith
Waffler, knowing that Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is heart warming to see you try and duplicate what I've said, it shows you want to be like me (-; hope not ;-). And, you are correct about me responding to you. Opposites are sometimes the best examples and teaching tools. Your extreme diatribe makes for great illustrations - points of freedom and liberty become much more clear. I hope your not just copying what I said about the honorable mention as a vain attempt to put me down. I hope you really feel that way. To feel justified in having your taste override another's property rights, to support slavery and call it legitimate tax, to be in goose step with the statist theocracy that infests this nation, to promote punishment for the innocent, to call tyranny and despotism liberty and freedom, to believe all rights derive from the mob, and to vehemently believe that man's rules and statutes supersede God's law and Constitutional limitations are all subjects and issues that repulse me. And when someone of your ilk ridicules me for my beliefs, it truly is a point of honor to me. -- Mike, Norwalk
What are God's laws, Mike. Who should I ask, a chineese man on the street, a Shinto in Japan, a animist in the jungles of So America or Africa. An atheist in America. At least man's law is not subject to a dictator such as Moses, Mohammad etcetera. -- Waffler, Smith 1
Waffler the only reason we appreciate you being here is that you demonstrate fully what a trained statist looks like and give us a platform from which all statists can be identified as foolish and misguided. Thanks, and have a nice day of being a sycophant. -- J Carlton, Calgary
Waffler, you can ask a chineese man on the street, a Shinto in Japan, a animist in the jungles of So America or Africa or an atheist in America, each answer will be the same if they are honest in the observance of the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God". The only thing that will differ is the source of the law. The laws of God which I continually refer to have nothing to do with religious philosophies or canons but, have everything to do with secular life, liberty, property, rights, law and justice. Gravity is constant in that domain that it was given and exists, so are fiscal laws, laws concerning life, liberty and property, physics, etc. No matter what your positivist carnal man lawmakers tout, they can not ban gravity or fiscal laws. De facto laws of man can be made all they want, all they do is inflict the innocent. It is up to man to discover God's laws and pass his codes, ordinances, regulations, rules, statutes, etc. in harmony therewith. I understand how God's laws seem obtrusive to you; compelled compliance, license, victimless crimes, and larceny with impunity are all crimes thereunder. Your further mis-direction and half truths concerning religious leaders is idiotic; Moses, Mohammad, etc. are also subject to God's laws no matter what they say (theft and murder are crimes against humanity no matter what any carnal man may say) -- Mike, Norwalk 1

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