James Russell Lowell Quotes
We learned once for all [from the Civil War] that compromise makes a good umbrella but a poor roof; that it is a temporary expedient, often wise in party politics, almost sure to be unwise in statesmanship.
From the 1787 Philadelphia discussions on the Constitution right up to the Civil War there was compromise after compromise on the slavery issue. Many political issues are amenable to compromise like tax rates or election modalities. Others like freedom of religion and speech and slavery are not. With the latter, compromise just delays the inevitable and often makes the final resolution more contentious and often violent.
James Russell Lowell, 1819-1891, U. S. Ambassador to Spain & England, On Democracy October 6, 1884
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Viscount Morley of Blackburn
James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets that rivaled the popularity of British poets. These writers usually used conventional forms and meters in their poetry, making them suitable for families entertaining at their fireside.
