William O. Douglas Quotes

As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged, and it is in such a twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwitting victims of darkness.

In reality, though, the first thing to ask of history is that it should point out to us the paths of liberty. The great lesson to draw from revolutions is not that they devour humanity but rather that tyranny never fails to generate them.

Side by side ... the British and French peoples have advanced to rescue ... mankind from the foulest and most soul-destroying tyranny which has ever darkened and stained the pages of history. Behind them ... gather a group of shattered States and bludgeoned races: the Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians, the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians -- upon all of whom the long night of barbarism will descend, unbroken even by a star of hope, unless we conquer, as conquer we must; as conquer we shall.

We know what the birth of a revolution looks like: A student stands before a tank. A fruit seller sets himself on fire. A line of monks link arms in a human chain. Crowds surge, soldiers fire, gusts of rage pull down the monuments of tyrants, and maybe, sometimes, justice rises from the flames.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.

The omnipotence of evil has never resulted in anything but fruitless efforts. Our thoughts always escape from whoever tries to smother them.

Till people find themselves greatly abused and oppressed by their governors, they are not apt to complain; and whenever they do, in fact, find themselves thus abused and oppressed, they must be stupid not to complain.

Where liberty dies, evil grows.

If we got into a situation where people start burning our records, then bring it on. That's the whole point. The gloaming has begun. We're in the darkness. This has happened before. Go read some history.

The use of force to liberate people is very different from the use of force to suppress or control them, or even to defeat them.

There is no week nor day nor hour when tyranny may not enter upon this country, if the people lose their roughness and spirit of defiance.

Repression or oppression never yet succeeded in crushing the truth or redressing a wrong.

Suppression? Persecution? The revolution was fought for this?

England may as well dam up the waters of the Nile with bulrushes as to fetter the step of Freedom

If officials are too forceful, people will revolt.

It is dangerous to speak the truth to tyrants.

A people that patiently lets itself be trampled, deserves to be trampled and crushed.

The limits of tyrants are proscribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress.

The cost of liberty is less than the price or repression.

Revolution is engendered by an indignation with tyranny, yet is itself pregnant with tyranny

You cannot play the Song of Freedom on an instrument of oppression.

Instead of contributing to the restoration of liberty they enlist of their own free will under the flag of the Spanish tyrants and most actively co-operate to our destruction

Let priests and bishops denounce—let the hierarchy roar! They cannot push the chick back into the shell.

Every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side.