Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men.

When one's ideas are not challenged, one's ability to defend them weakens.

It is only in the backward countries of the world that increased production is still an important object.

There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, and point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct, and better taste and sense in human life.

Miracles have no claim whatever to the character of historical facts and are wholly invalid as evidence of any revelation.

Eloquence is heard; poetry is overheard ... All poetry is of the nature of the soliloquy.

When the people are too much attached to savage independence, to be tolerant of the amount of power to which it is for their good that they should be subject, the state of society is not yet ripe for representative government.