DeWitt Clinton Quotes
[A] government can be expected to be enjoyed no longer than while its Citizens continue virtuous and while the majority of the People, through the advantage of a proper, early education possess sufficient knowledge to enable them to understand and pursue their best interests.
DeWitt Clinton, 1769-1828, U. S. Senator (Anti-Federalist Republican, NY), Mayor of New York City, Governor of New York, Peace Party candidate for the presidency, "Father of Free Public Schools", Speech, New York City, February 25, 1805
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Her call for education for personal responsibility is a real shock to many conservatives who identify Mrs. Roosevelt with the liberal left. But she made this a basic component of her belief structure and the Roosevelt Administration in 1942—long before it ever became part of the conservative program.
She had been accused of being a follower of public opinion rather than a driver of it as many politicians see themselves. At the time, she refused to stake out specific positions in her contest for the presidential nomination of her party—the socialists. She won the primary, the first such French woman, but lost in the general election.
“Societies” were volunteer community associations formed for the purpose of monitoring the public officials and legislatures and recommending things. They would invite speakers and exchange political knowledge. They performed many of the functions that think tanks and local political parties do in modern times, but generally they were totally non-partisan—hence they were “disinterested”.
DeWitt Clinton, whose name was almost always spelled De Witt during his lifetime and until the late 20th century, was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States Senator, Mayor of New York City, and as the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal. Clinton was a major candidate for the American presidency in the election of 1812, challenging incumbent James Madison.
