The brave man, inattentive to his duty, is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts her in the hour of danger.
Andrew JacksonRead
From the earliest ages of history to the present day there never have been thirteen millions of people associated in one political body who enjoyed so much freedom and happiness as the people of these United States. You have no longer any cause to fear danger from abroad... It is from within, among yourselves - from cupidity, from corruption, from disappointed ambition and inordinate thirst for power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the unique freedom and happiness experienced by the people of the United States, while warning about internal threats to that freedom.
Andrew Jackson highlights that throughout history, the United States has been a remarkable political entity where millions have enjoyed unprecedented liberty and happiness. However, he cautions that the true dangers to this freedom do not come from external enemies but rather from internal issues such as greed, corruption, and unchecked ambition among the citizens themselves.
Themes
FreedomHappinessPolitical BodyInternal ThreatsCorruption
In practice
Example use cases
During a political rally, you can quote Jackson to remind people of the importance of internal integrity in governance.
More from Andrew Jackson
All quotes →The planter, the farmer, the mechanic, and the laborer...form the great body of the people of the United States they are the bone and sinew of the country men who love liberty and desire nothing but equal rights and equal laws.
Andrew JacksonRead
There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.
Andrew JacksonRead
The great constitutional corrective in the hands of the people against usurpation of power, or corruption by their agents is the right of suffrage; and this when used with calmness and deliberation will prove strong enough.
Andrew JacksonRead
I feel in the depths of my soul that it is the highest, most sacred, and most irreversible part of my obligation to preserve the union of these states, although it may cost me my life.
Andrew JacksonRead
When death comes, he respects neither age nor merit. He sweeps from the earthly existence the sick and the strong, the rich and the poor, and should teach us to live to be prepared for death.
Andrew JacksonRead
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