John Tincroft, Bachelor and Benedict: Or, Without Intending It

“What is called family pride is often founded on the illusion of self-love. A man wishes to perpetuate and immortalize himself.””

— George E. Sargent

“men who so uneasily tolerate superiors patiently suffer a master, and show themselves proud and servile at the same time.””

— George E. Sargent

“patriotism and religion are the only two motives in the world which can permanently direct the whole of a body politic to one end.””

— George E. Sargent

“This demonstrated to me that those who regard universal suffrage as a guarantee for good choices are under a complete illusion. Universal suffrage has other advantages, but not that one.””

— George E. Sargent

“In reality it is far less prejudicial to witness the immorality of the great than to witness that immorality which leads to greatness.””

— George E. Sargent

“I am unacquainted with a more deplorable spectacle than that of a people unable either to defend or to maintain its independence.””

— George E. Sargent

“The lawyers of the United States form a party which is but little feared and scarcely perceived, which has no badge peculiar to itself, which adapts itself with great flexibility to the exigencies of the time, and accommodates itself to all the movements of the social body; but this party extends over the whole community, and it penetrates into all classes of society; it acts upon the country imperceptibly, but it finally fashions it to suit its purposes.””

— George E. Sargent

“The pursuit of wealth generally diverts men of great talents and of great passions from the pursuit of power, and it very frequently happens that a man does not undertake to direct the fortune of the State until he has discovered his incompetence to conduct his own affairs.””

— George E. Sargent

“In America, the majority raises formidable barriers around the liberty of opinion; within these barriers, an author may write what he pleases, but woe to him if he goes beyond them. Not that he is in danger of an auto-da-fe, but he is exposed to continued obloquy and persecution. His political career is closed forever since he has offended the only authority that is able to open it. Every sort of compensation, even that of celebrity, is refused to him. Before making public his opinions he thought he had sympathizers; now it seems to him that he has none any more since he revealed himself to everyone; then those who blame him criticize him loudly and those who think as he does keep quiet and move away without courage. He yields at length, over-come by the daily effort which he has to make, and subsides into silence, as if he felt remorse for speaking the truth.””

— George E. Sargent