--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want it understood that all these men…" description: "\"I want it understood that all these men fought for principle, not for plunder, and that they were true-hearted, honorable soldiers, fighting for what t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png" --- # I want it understood that all these men fought for… ![“I want it understood that all these men fought for principle, not for plunder, and that they were true-hearted, honorable soldiers, fighting for what they esteemed was a righteous cause.” quote by Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png) > “I want it understood that all these men fought for principle, not for plunder, and that they were true-hearted, honorable soldiers, fighting for what they esteemed was a righteous cause.” [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He claims the men fought for ideals, not greed, portraying them as honorable soldiers with noble motives. **In simple terms:** Men fought for principle, not plunder. Key Takeaway Recognize the importance of principled action. Themes principle honor war morality Mood critical inspirational Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - military history - political movements - personal integrity Key Concepts idealism ethical conduct Questions to Reflect On - Do you think modern conflicts are driven by principle? - How can we verify true motives? A Different Perspective Historical accounts may romanticize motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/) [Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous/) [Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiers/) ## Related quotes > [Running down on a way of life our fighting men have fought and died to keep. If you don't love it, leave it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/running-down-on-a-way-of-life-our-fighting-men-have-fought-and-died/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [We were thus led to organize ourselves, as men who had fought the war together, in order to support those statesmen who had truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-cassin/we-were-thus-led-to-organize-ourselves-as-men-who-had-fought-the-war/) [Rene Cassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-cassin/) > [“Yes, SEALs did a good job, and gave their blood. 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The men who fought at Verdun, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/glory-of-war-indeed-in-war-all-soldiers-are-lousy-at-least-when-it-is/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“I have now understood that though it seems to men that they live by care for themselves, in truth it is love alone by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-now-understood-that-though-it-seems-to-men-that-they-live-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest leader in the world could never win a campaign unless he understood the men he had to lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/the-greatest-leader-in-the-world-could-never-win-a-campaign-unless-he/) [Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/) ## More by Cole Younger > [The people of western Missouri are, in some respects, very peculiar. We will take Jackson county where I was born for instance. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/the-people-of-western-missouri-are-in-some-respects-very-peculiar-we/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [They had scarcely established themselves, however, before another company of Jackson county citizens, chiefly from around Independence, organized to drive them off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/they-had-scarcely-established-themselves-however-before-another/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [Jim and I are still receiving surgical attention, and will be the remainder of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/jim-and-i-are-still-receiving-surgical-attention-and-will-be-the/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [I never, in all my life, had anything whatever to do with robbing any bank in the state of Missouri.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-never-in-all-my-life-had-anything-whatever-to-do-with-robbing-any/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [I have been wounded altogether twenty times; eleven of these wounds were received at Northfield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-have-been-wounded-altogether-twenty-times-eleven-of-these-wounds/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [Joe Smith and Brigham Young laid out Independence, but very soon thereafter enough citizens of the county collected to drive them off, after several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/joe-smith-and-brigham-young-laid-out-independence-but-very-soon/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [I am aware that my name has been connected with all the bank robberies in the country; but positively I had nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-am-aware-that-my-name-has-been-connected-with-all-the-bank/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [I occupy much of my time in theological studies for which I have a natural inclination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-occupy-much-of-my-time-in-theological-studies-for-which-i-have-a/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [The world may believe as it pleases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/the-world-may-believe-as-it-pleases/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [I will say that since our capture we have met with uniform kindness, and while in the penitentiary our relations with the officers have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-will-say-that-since-our-capture-we-have-met-with-uniform-kindness/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) [Explore all 11 Cole Younger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) ## More Cause quotes > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. 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The ethos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/pacifism-as-a-mass-movement-aims-to-avoid-suffering-pacifists-often/) [Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/) > [“...There are so many paths you can follow. So much effect from one simple cause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-allen/there-are-so-many-paths-you-can-follow-so-much-effect-from-one-simple/) Lee Allen > [War can be prevented only by broad-minded statesmanship - a statesmanship that understands how to enlist people's interests in a leading cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/war-can-be-prevented-only-by-broad-minded-statesmanship-a/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) > [I think the other misconceptions when the film came out, he was very upset that it was so widely released and so widely seen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-zwigoff/i-think-the-other-misconceptions-when-the-film-came-out-he-was-very/) [Terry Zwigoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-zwigoff/) Browse all 1,323 Cause quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want it understood that all these men fought for principle, not for plunder, and that they were true-hearted, honorable soldiers, fighting for what they esteemed was a righteous cause.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cole Younger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men-fought-for-principle-not-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cause" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men-fought-for-principle-not-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/cole-younger-39992_cause_i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men_459821.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want it understood that all these men fought for principle, not for plunder, and that they were…” — Cole Younger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cole Younger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want it understood that all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men-fought-for-principle-not-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/i-want-it-understood-that-all-these-men-fought-for-principle-not-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```