No man not inspired can make a good speech without preparation.
Daniel WebsterRead
Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the essential role of farming in the development of human society and civilization.
Daniel Webster highlights the fundamental importance of agriculture, suggesting that the act of cultivating the land is the cornerstone of human labor. He argues that it is through farming that other arts and civilizations can develop, thereby elevating the role of farmers as the true founders of society.
In practice
In a speech at an agricultural conference, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of farming in society.
No man not inspired can make a good speech without preparation.
We have been taught to regard a representative of the people as a sentinel on the watch-tower of liberty.
I was born an American; I will live an American; I shall die an American.
Man is a special being, and if left to himself, in an isolated condition, would be one of the weakest creatures; but associated with his kind, he works wonders.
Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution of your country and the government established under it. Leave evils which exist in some parts of the country, but which are beyond your control, to the all-wise direction of an over-ruling Providence. Perform those duties which are present, plain and positive. Respect the laws of your country.
I regard it (the Constitution) as the work of the purest patriots and wisest statesman that ever existed, aided by the smiles of a benign Providence; it almost appears a "Divine interposition in our behalf... the hand that destroys our Constitution rends our Union asunder forever.
Do you understand now why books are hated and feared? Because they reveal the pores on the face of life. The comfortable people want only the faces of the full moon, wax, faces without pores, hairless, expressionless.
I love life - that’s my real weakness. I love it so much that I am incapable of imagining what is not life.
Life is. I am. Anything might happen. And I believe I may invest my life with meaning. The uncertainty is a blessing in disguise. If I were absolutely certain about all things, I would spend my life in anxious misery, fearful of losing my way. But since everything and anything are always possible, the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease.
When we turn to one another for counsel we reduce the number of our enemies.
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