George Bancroft

The fears of one class of men are not the measure of the rights of another.

— George Bancroft

Avarice is the vice of declining years.

— George Bancroft

Institutions may crumble and governments fall, but it is only that they may renew a better youth, and mount upwards like the eagle.

— George Bancroft

Ennui is the desire of activity without the fit means of gratifying the desire.

— George Bancroft

Truth is not exciting enough to those who depend on the characters and lives of their neighbors for all their amusement; and if a story is told of more than common interest, ennui is sure to have its joy in adding embellishments. If hours did not hang heavy, what would become of scandal?

— George Bancroft

By common consent grey hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy.

— George Bancroft

The best government rests on the people and not on the few, on persons and not on property, on the free development of public opinion and not on authority.

— George Bancroft

Sedition is bred in the lap of luxury and its chosen emissaries are the beggared spendthrift and the impoverished libertine.

— George Bancroft

The exact measure of the progress of civilization is the degree in which the intelligence of the common mind has prevailed over wealth and brute force.

— George Bancroft

The prejudices of ignorance are more easily removed than the prejudices of interest; the first are blindly adopted; the second wilfully preferred.

— George Bancroft

The exact measure of the progress of civilization is the degree in which the intelligence of the common mind has prevailed over wealth and brute force.

— George Bancroft

The exact measure of the progress of civilization is the degree in which the intelligence of the common mind has prevailed over wealth and brute force.

— George Bancroft