What luck, for governments, that the people are stupid!

For I must not measure the speech of a statesman to his people... but by the effect it exerts on the people.

People's Fury is above all the furies.

While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration... can very seriously injure the government

The choice was clearly open: crush them with vain and unstinted force, or try to give them what they want. These were the only alternatives, and though each had ardent advocates, most people were unprepared for either. Here indeed was the Irish spectre - horrid and inexorcisable.

Good people should come into politics. They should come with mission not with ambition.