Gerrit Quotes & Sayings

The Southern slave would obey God in respect to marriage, and also to the reading and studying of His word. But this, as we have seen, is forbidden him. — Gerrit Smith

My rights all spring front an infinitely nobler source - from favor and grace of God. — Gerrit Smith

When a good man lends himself to the advocacy of slavery, he must, at least for a time, feel himself to be any where but at home, amongst his new thoughts, doctrines, and modes of reasoning. — Gerrit Smith

I do not subscribe to the doctrine that the people are the slaves and property of their government. I believe that government is for the use of the people, and not the people for the use of the government. — Gerrit Smith

I trust, that your readers will not construe my words to mean, that I would not have gone to a 3 o'clock in the morning session, for the sake of defeating the Nebraska bill. — Gerrit Smith

It, sometimes, suits the slaveholders to claim, that their slavery is an exclusively State concern; and that the North has, therefore, nothing to do with it. — Gerrit Smith

I welcomed the organization of the Anti-slavery Society. — Gerrit Smith

We must continue to judge of slavery by what it is, and not by what you tell us it will, or may be. — Gerrit Smith

Writing is not a series of strokes, but space, divided into characteristic shapes by strokes. — Gerrit Noordzij

We should not feel so sorely grieved if no man who had not attained the full stature of a Webster, Clay, Van Buren, or Gerrit Smith could claim the right of the elective franchise. But to have drunkards, idiots, horse-racing, rum-selling rowdies, ignorant foreigners, and silly boys fully recognized, while we ourselves are thrust out from all the rights that belong to citizens, it is too grossly insulting to the dignity of woman to be longer quietly submitted to. — Elizabeth Cady Stanton

It is not to be disguised, that a war has broken out between the North and the South. - Political and commercial men are industriously striving to restore peace: but the peace, which they would effect, is superficial, false, and temporary. — Gerrit Smith

We are His greatest handiwork even though we are still a work in progress. — Gerrit W. Gong

I need say no more, to prove that slavery is entirely unlike the servitude in the patriarchal families. — Gerrit Smith

I am a plain man, and I care and know comparatively little about rhetoric. — Gerrit Smith

The only ground on which a neutral State can claim respect at the hands of belligerents is, that, so far as she is concerned, their rights are protected. — Gerrit Smith

As this is the first time I have had the floor, it may be well for me now to confess, that I am in the habit of freely imputing errors to my fellow-men. — Gerrit Smith

Let the poor man count as his enemy, and his worst enemy, every invader of the right of free discussion. — Gerrit Smith

Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance. — Gerrit Smith

To no human charter am I indebted for my rights. — Gerrit Smith

There is one class of men, whom it especially behoves to be tenacious of the right of free discussion. I mean the poor. — Gerrit Smith

Our concern, however, is with slavery as it is, and not with any theory of it. — Gerrit Smith

Truth and mercy require the exertion - never the suppression, of man's noble rights and powers. — Gerrit Smith

You are that what you cannot lose. — Gerrit Komrij

But I love honesty, and, therefore; do I make great account of facts. — Gerrit Smith

True, permanent peace can never be restored, until slavery, the occasion of the war, has ceased. — Gerrit Smith

Let us tell our legislators in advance, that this is a right, restraints on which, we will not, cannot bear; and that every attempt to restrain it is a palpable wrong on God and man. — Gerrit Smith

Temple mirrors of eternity remind us that each human being has "divine nature and destiny"; that "sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally"; and that, growing together in love and faithfulness, we can give children roots and wings. — Gerrit W. Gong

True liberty acknowledges and defends the equal rights of all men, and all nations. — Gerrit Smith

It is a nice sunny day; his bunions have stopped hurting. There is always something to celebrate, in Gerrit's view. — Deborah Moggach

God still speaks to us. He speaks not from a life of ease, far removed from our suffering. He speaks from the cross, the same place of agony where we live. He speaks as one who joins our suffering wherever we are. He blesses us as he says, "I am with you now in your suffering. Take courage. Soon you will be with me in Paradise." So we realize that from the cross Jesus enacts the words of Aaron's benediction. Lifted on the rough beams, Jesus is yet God shining on us in favor. Even when we killed him, Jesus was gracious to us. Lined with pain, cut and bleeding, his countenance yet radiated love. The most shameful thing human beings have ever done, putting the incarnate Son of God to death, has become the greatest sign of his blessing grace. — Gerrit Scott Dawson

God cannot approve of a system of servitude, in which the master is guilty of assuming absolute power - of assuming God's place and relation towards his fellow-men. — Gerrit Smith

There is room in our ranks for the old and decrepit, as well as the young and vigorous. — Gerrit Smith

The poor North has much to do with slavery. It staggers under its load and smarts under its lash. — Gerrit Smith

I do not object to the construction of rail roads and canals. — Gerrit Smith

I prefer, in a word, the republican system, because it comes up more nearly to God's system. — Gerrit Smith

To say, that Capt. Ingraham violated the rights of Turkey, is nonsense. — Gerrit Smith

But as well may you, when urging a man up-hill with a heavy load upon his back, and with your lash also upon his back, tell him, that be has nothing to do either with the load or the lash. — Gerrit Smith

But, although America cannot be justly charged with violating the rights of Turkey, Turkey nevertheless can be justly charged with violating the rights of America. — Gerrit Smith

It is manifestly vital to the success of the anti-slavery cause, that the authority and influence of proslavery, especially of slaveholding, ministers should be destroyed. — Gerrit Smith