David Ervine Quotes
There was a moment when I simply understood that this war cannot be won.
David Ervine, Irish Protestant Terrorist Leader, Explanation of why he changed from a violent Protestant militant to attempt a peaceful settlement of the Catholic-Protestant dispute in Ireland, London, June, 2002
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Generally after civil wars there have been extensive reprisals and trials of the winning side against the losing one. Lincoln was determined that this pattern not be followed as the bloody war was coming to an end. Ironically, Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor and a Southerner, was, together with some of the Radical Republicans, in favor of trying many of the Southern leaders for treason and rebellion. Lincoln’s view however and that of the moderate members of Congress prevailed. However, the Southern Whites generally would not comply with the Constitutional Amendments and laws regarding the role of the Negro, and Johnson was very sympathetic to their racism which led to a conflict between Johnson and Congress.
This idea came from Dutch Philosopher Benedict Spinoza. See his quotation from 1677.
This is one of the fears of many Israelis—that a Palestinian state with a peace treaty—will just be an opportunity for the Arabs to gain strength and develop their capability to again try and destroy the Jewish state which they have tried to do ever few years until they are defeated and another truce is negotiated.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910
David Ervine was a Northern Irish Unionist politician from Belfast and the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). During his youth Ervine was a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and was imprisoned for possessing bomb-making equipment. Whilst in jail he became convinced of the benefits of a more political approach for Ulster loyalism and became involved with the PUP. As a leading PUP figure, Ervine helped to deliver the loyalist ceasefire of 1994.
