Elbridge Gerry Quotes

When the people are sheep, the government is always a wolf.

Throughout history government has served as a vehicle for the organization of hatred and oppression, benefiting no one except those who are ambitious and ruthless enough to gain control of it.

Every one of the world's dictatorships can and does claim to be acting in the name of the people.

Either force or corruption has been the principle of every modern government.

Every kind and degree of evil of which mankind are susceptible may be inflicted on them by their government.

Democracy has shown us that what is evil are the grosses têtes, the big heads, all big heads are greedy for money and power, they are ambitious that is the reason they are big heads and so they are at the head of the government and the result is misery for the people

One must not forget, however, that Russia had to free herself from the most frightful mis-government ever inflicted upon a long-suffering people.

The good government of one man is the bad government of another

That's how dictators get started.

If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual.

Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.

A collective tyrant, spread over the length and breadth of the land, is no more acceptable than a single tyrant ensconced on his throne.

Despotism is the only form of government which may with safety to itself, neglect the education of its infant poor.

The great men of power who seek to change the nations they belong to usually are pretty terrible people.

Any number of scoundrels, having money enough to start with, can establish themselves as a 'government'; because, with money, they can hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort more money; and also compel general obedience to their will.

A government that can at pleasure accuse, shoot, and hang men, as traitors, for the one general offence of refusing to surrender themselves and their property unreservedly to its arbitrary will, can practice any and all special and particular oppressions it pleases.

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.

They (who) seek to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers … call this a new order. It is not new and it is not order.

The record of Arab regimes is disgraceful and outrageous … worse than that of the occupier or the colonialist.

The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.

Feelings of marginalization and cries of separation are symptomatic of countries where rulers find power sweet and intoxicating, where power is coveted, and when acquired, painstakingly guarded.

That which killed my late master, & so many of his predecessors. The responsibility of arbitrary power.

… so long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.

... a tissue of machinations against the liberties of the country.

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms [of government] those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations perverted it into tyranny.