William Ewart Gladstone quotes - page 6

William Ewart Gladstone was a British statesman and four-time Prime Minister, known for his influential role in 19th-century politics. Prominent for his reforms and rivalry with Benjamin Disraeli, he championed liberal values and Irish Home Rule. He is remembered as a key figure in shaping modern British democracy. Here are 167 of his quotes:

There is a saying of Burke's from which I must utterly dissent. "Property is sluggish and inert."

William Ewart Gladstone

I am delighted to see how many young boys and girls have come forward to obtain honourable marks of recognition on this occasion, - if any effectual good is to be done to them, it must be done by teaching and encouraging them and helping them to help themselves.

William Ewart Gladstone

Economy is the first and great article (economy such as I understand it) in my financial creed. The controversy between direct and indirect taxation holds a minor, though important place.

William Ewart Gladstone

I am certain, from experience, of the immense advantage of strict account-keeping in early life. It is just like learning the grammar then, which when once learned need not be referred to afterwards.

William Ewart Gladstone

A rational reaction against the irrational excesses and vagaries of scepticism may, I admit, readily degenerate into the rival folly of credulity. To be engaged in opposing wrong affords, under the conditions of our mental constitution, but a slender guarantee for being right.

William Ewart Gladstone

I have known ninety-five of the world's great men in my time, and of these eighty-seven were followers of the Bible.

William Ewart Gladstone

One example is worth a thousand arguments.

William Ewart Gladstone

My only hope for the world is in bringing the human mind into contact with divine revelation.

William Ewart Gladstone

The errors of former times are recorded for our instruction in order that we may avoid their repition.

William Ewart Gladstone

The oppression of a majority is detestable and odious; the oppression of a minority is only by one degree less detestable and odious.

William Ewart Gladstone

Man is to be trained chiefly by studying and by knowing man.

William Ewart Gladstone

The American Revolution was a vindication of liberties inherited and possessed. It was a conservative revolution.

William Ewart Gladstone

The resources of civilization are not yet exhausted.

William Ewart Gladstone

Is not that state a warning and a judgment for our heavy sins as a nation?

William Ewart Gladstone

Budgets are not merely affairs of arithmetic, but in a thousand ways go to the root of prosperity of individuals, the relation of classes and the strength of kingdoms.

William Ewart Gladstone

Be thorough in all you do and remember that although ignorance often may be innocent, pretension is always despicable.

William Ewart Gladstone

The right hon. Gentleman has argued, that the adoption of the plan proposed by the Government would confer advantage on the consumer, would increase the revenue, and would give increased scope to the industry of the manufacturer. We, Sir, argue, that with an amount of benefit to the revenue altogether inconsiderable, with a slight, nay an imperceptible relief to the consumer, and with detriment to the sure interests of the British manufacturer, you are asked to abandon what is nothing less than a great principle of humanity, that has received the most solemn sanction of the Legislature, the principle of hostility to the slave-trade and to slavery.

William Ewart Gladstone

I believe the slave trade to be by far the foulest crime that taints the history of mankind in any Christian or pagan country.

William Ewart Gladstone

[T]he great aim-the moral and political significance of the act, and its probable and desired fruit in binding the two countries together by interest and affection. Neither you nor I attach for the moment any superlative value to this Treaty for the sake of the extension of British trade. ... What I look to is the social good, the benefit to the relations of the two countries, and the effect on the peace of Europe.

William Ewart Gladstone

As to his Goddess Reason, I understand by it simply an adoption of what are called on the continent the principles of the French Revolution. These we neither want nor warmly relish in England.

William Ewart Gladstone

It is sometimes said that the measure we propose is a democratic measure. The word "democracy” has very different senses, if by democracy be meant liberty-if by democracy be meant the extension to each man in his own sphere of every privilege and of every franchise that he can exercise with advantage to himself and with safety to the State,-then I must confess I don't see much to alarm us in the word democracy. (Cheers.) But if by democracy be meant the enthroning of ignorance against knowledge, the setting up of vice in opposition to virtue, the disregard of rank, the forgetfulness of what our fathers have done for us, indifference or coldness with regard to the inheritance we enjoy, then, Gentlemen, I for one-and I believe for all I have the honour to address-am in that sense the enemy of democracy.

William Ewart Gladstone

The transfer of the allegiance and citizenship, of no small part of the heart and life, of human beings from one sovereignty to another, without any reference to their own consent, has been a great reproach to some former transactions in Europe; has led to many wars and disturbances; is hard to reconcile with considerations of equity; and is repulsive to the sense of modern civilization.

William Ewart Gladstone