Jon Meacham Quotes

Virtue is a positive quality developed by taking a firm stand for the right in temptation, or by the suffering endured in consequence of wrongdoing.

If it is decreed that I should go down because of this speech, then let me go down linked to the truth—let me die in the advocacy of what is just and right.

Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.

Being a Deol for me is to be honest; walking with my head held high and never having to bow in front of injustice.

Virtue must be valuable, if men and women of all degrees pretend to have it.

Moral courage is higher and a rarer virtue than physical courage.

Virtue alone has majesty in death.

Virtue is the truest nobility.

What is character? It is that quality of man which is going to make a man, in an hour of strain, do the just and, if possible, the generous thing.

Heroes are those who can somehow resist the power of the situation and act out of noble motives, or behave in ways that do not demean others when they easily can.

The greatest want of the world is the want of men - men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.

The courage of New England was the courage of conscience.

Nothing deters a good man from what honor requires of him

Today we need a special kind of courage. Not the kind needed in battle, but a kind which makes us stand up for everything that we know is right, everything that is true and honest. We need the kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the cynics, so that we can show the world that we are not afraid of the future.

From long familiarity, we know what honor is. It is what enables the individual to do right in the face of complacency and cowardice. It is what enables the soldier to die alone, the political prisoner to resist, the singer to sing her song, hardly appreciated, on a side street.

Lord, give me the wisdom to know what's right and the courage to do what's right-even when it's hard.

Do not feel lonely on the road of righteousness Because of the fewness of the walkers on it.

And what, incidentally, do you think integrity is? The ability not to pick a watch out of your neighbor's pocket? No, it's not as easy as that. If that were all, I'd say ninety-five percent of humanity were honest, upright men. Only, as you can see, they aren't. Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea.

Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.

Virtue is an inner strength. It expands your nature.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

The true measure of a man is what he would do if he knew he would never be caught.

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.

A man has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.

The ordeal of virtue is to resist all temptation to evil.