A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life.

The natural tendency of representative government, as of modern civilisation, is towards collective mediocrity: and this tendency is increased by all reductions and extensions of the franchise, their effect being to place the principal power in the hands of classes more and more below the highest level of instruction in the community.

All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for his good.

Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.

All that makes existence valuable to any one depends on the enforcement of restraints upon the actions of other people.

There is the greatest difference between presuming an opinion to be true, because, with every opportunity for contesting it, it has not been refuted, and assuming its truth for the purpose of not permitting its refutation.

I know tolerably well what Ireland was, but have a very imperfect idea of what Ireland is.