William Godwin Quotes
In infamy, it is wisely provided that he who stands highest in the ranks of society has the heaviest load to sustain.
Godwin, William. Things As They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams. Vol. 1, B. Crosby, 1794, p. 182.
The Treasury Secretary had discovered a massive fraud between some whiskey distillers and some government officials whereby the government was defrauded of millions of dollars of tax revenue. One of the Federal officials Bristow wanted to indict was O. E. Babcock, the President’s personal secretary and advisor. Bristow marshaled the facts and sent a report to Grant who wrote the quoted material in the margin of the report and sent it back to Bristow. Despite Grant’s lack of personal involvement and his immediate willingness to prosecute his close friend and colleague, the stain of scandal spread to Grant and to this day is a part of any discussion of his presidency.
She converted to the Catholic Religion and the monarch had to be a Protestant.
This quotation is classic in that it illustrates a fundamental difference between a political and religious view of rights. Politically a citizen is entitled to rights with no requirement or condition of responsibility. Politically, we may desire and applaud or even reward responsible behavior, but we may not condition the rights on someone’s version of responsible use of the rights. Indeed, the real test is if people have rights who are generally thought to be irresponsible. See {633640} .
At the time, the well-educated, elite class of Americans would rarely have anything to do with politics or public service towards the end of the 19th century. It was not part of the cultural expectation. Roosevelt was not only one of the rare exceptions, but he argued strongly to his Harvard and other Ivy League associates that they had a duty to become active. Few responded to his appeal but he set a precedent which over the years brought many talented men into politics and civil service.
William Godwin was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism. Godwin is most famous for two books that he published within the space of a year: An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, an attack on political institutions, and Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, an early mystery novel which attacks aristocratic privilege. Based on the success of both, Godwin featured prominently in the radical circles of London in the 1790s. He wrote prolifically in the genres of novels, history and demography throughout his life.
