Thomas Gage Quotes
They will be lions while we are lambs: but if we take the resolute part, they will undoubtedly prove very meek.
He was quoting Thomas Gage, 1721-1787, English General and Royal Governor of Massachusetts and British Military Commander in North America who had used the line earlier. As with many historical quotations, the original was not of very great import, but when the king of England wrote this to his prime minister, it was policy and produced attitudes and policies that affected the American Revolution.
George III, 1738-1820, King of England & Ireland, King of Hanover, Note about the American Colonists to Lord North, the prime minister, 1774
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
This line summarizes a principle of political leadership which demagogues understand intuitively and some other politicians learn. To galvanize or mobilize the public, set lofty, important objectives and goals and not small matters. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, two of our greatest Presidents, were able to do this very well. Other presidents and many politicians try this with minor issues that they think important and great, but they are often unsuccessful because only a small part of the population—the true believers—agree with the importance and greatness.
Giuliani had designs on the Republican Presidential nomination. However, his professional experience had lttlle to do with foreign affairs or foreign policy. Also, as a liberal Republican on many of the social issues, he had the problem of appealing to the conservative right wing of the party. So he selected this principle which no one—left or right—really disagrees with. But the right wing generally castigates the left wing for being weak and inviting aggression and other difficulties. The result was that Giuliani could not get any traction with the right wing of his party and gave up his Presidential ambitions for 2012.
General Thomas Gage was a British Army general officer and colonial official best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as British commander-in-chief in the early days of the American Revolution.
