Royalty Is A Government In Which The Attention Of The Nation Is Concentrated On One Person Doing Interesting Actions.
We Think Of Euclid As Of Fine Ice; We Admire Newton As We Admire The Peak Of Teneriffe. Even The Intensest Labors, The Most Remote Triumphs Of The Abstract Intellect, Seem To Carry Us Into A Region Different From Our Own-to Be In A Terra Incognita Of Pure Reasoning, To Cast A Chill On Human Glory.
An Influential Member Of Parliament Has Not Only To Pay Much Money To Become Such, And To Give Time And Labour, He Has Also To Sacrifice His Mind Too - At Least All The Characteristics Part Of It That Which Is Original And Most His Own.
Persecution In Intellectual Countries Produces A Superficial Conformity, But Also Underneath An Intense, Incessant, Implacable Doubt.
It Has Been Said That England Invented The Phrase, 'her Majesty's Opposition'; That It Was The First Government Which Made A Criticism Of Administration As Much A Part Of The Polity As Administration Itself. This Critical Opposition Is The Consequence Of Cabinet Government.
The Most Melancholy Of Human Reflections, Perhaps, Is That, On The Whole, It Is A Question Whether The Benevolence Of Mankind Does Most Good Or Harm.
The Essence Of Toryism Is Enjoyment?but As Far As Communicating And Establishing Your Creed Are Concernedtrya Little Pleasure. The Way To Keep Up Old Customs Is, To Enjoy Old Customs; The Way To Be Satisfied With The Present State Of Things Is, To Enjoy That State Of Things.
A Political Country Is Like An American Forest; You Have Only To Cut Down The Old Trees, And Immediately New Trees Come Up To Replace Them.
Whatever Expenditure Is Sanctioned - Even When It Is Sanctioned Against The Ministry's Wish - The Ministry Must Find The Money. Accordingly, They Have The Strongest Motive To Oppose Extra Outlay. The Ministry Is (so To Speak) The Breadwinner Of The Political Family, And Has To Meet The Cost Of Philanthropy And Glory; Just As The Head Of A Family Has To Pay For The Charities Of His Wife And The Toilette Of His Daughters.
Most Men Of Business Think "anyhow This System Will Probably Last My Time. It Has Gone On A Long Time, And Is Likely To Go On Still.
Dullness In Matters Of Government Is A Good Sign, And Not A Bad One - In Particular, Dullness In Parliamentary Government Is A Test Of Its Excellence, An Indication Of Its Success.
Under A Presidential Government, A Nation Has, Except At The Electing Moment, No Influence; It Has Not The Ballot-box Before It; Its Virtue Is Gone, And It Must Wait Till Its Instant Of Despotism Again Returns.
