--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I could have spoken from Rhode Island…" description: "\"I could have spoken from Rhode Island where I have been staying ... But I felt that, in speaking from the house of Lincoln, of Jackson, and of Wilson, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_action_i-could-have-spoken-from-rhode-island-wh_2866578.jpg" --- # I could have spoken from Rhode Island where I have been… ![“I could have spoken from Rhode Island where I have been staying ... But I felt that, in speaking from the house of Lincoln, of Jackson, and of Wilson, my words would better convey both the sadness I feel in the action I was compelled today to make and the firmness with which I intend to pursue…” quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_action_i-could-have-spoken-from-rhode-island-wh_2866578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_action_i-could-have-spoken-from-rhode-island-wh_2866578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_action_i-could-have-spoken-from-rhode-island-wh_2866578.jpg) > “I could have spoken from Rhode Island where I have been staying ... But I felt that, in speaking from the house of Lincoln, of Jackson, and of Wilson, my words would better convey both the sadness I feel in the action I was compelled today to make and the firmness with which I intend to pursue this course until the orders of the federal court at Little Rock can be executed without unlawful interference." (On sending troops to enforce integration in Little Rock AR High School)” [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Justifies federal enforcement of integration despite personal discomfort. **In simple terms:** Supports law enforcement for civil rights. Key Takeaway Uphold constitutional duties over personal feelings. Themes civil rights law leadership Mood determined formal Type historical political When to use this quote - military orders - court rulings - public protest Key Concepts federal authority social justice Questions to Reflect On - How to balance law and empathy? - What role does personal conviction play? A Different Perspective Risk of appearing authoritarian. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Compelled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelled/) [Convey Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convey-sadness-3898910/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Executed Unlawful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executed-unlawful-3898911/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-speaking-3898909/) [Firmness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firmness/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Integration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integration/) [Interference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interference/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Little rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-rock/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Monarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monarchy/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Pursue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursue/) [Rhode island](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhode-island/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Spoken Rhode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoken-rhode-3898907/) [Staying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troops/) [Unlawful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlawful/) [Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilson/) [Wilson Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilson-words-3898908/) [Without u](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-u/) ## Related quotes > [Mob rule can not be allowed to override the decisions of our courts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/mob-rule-can-not-be-allowed-to-override-the-decisions-of-our-courts/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“We had a little house in Little Rock, and before I'd put her to bed, I'd put her in a rocking chair and read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-had-a-little-house-in-little-rock-and-before-i-d-put-her-to-bed-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It was nineteen fifty seven, the Little Rock nine were escorted to school by Federal troops under the order of President Eisenhower to counteract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-niles/it-was-nineteen-fifty-seven-the-little-rock-nine-were-escorted-to/) [Sara Niles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-niles/) > [“My name is Matt Besser, and I'm an Arkansas Razorback. My father is a Jew from Little Rock, Ark., my mother was a Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-besser/my-name-is-matt-besser-and-i-m-an-arkansas-razorback-my-father-is-a/) [Matt Besser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-besser/) > [“There is a sky full of stars aplenty, and all you can babble about is a cold, little rock we call the moon. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/there-is-a-sky-full-of-stars-aplenty-and-all-you-can-babble-about-is/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Drive away and try to keep smiling. Get a little rock and roll on the radio and go toward life with all the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/drive-away-and-try-to-keep-smiling-get-a-little-rock-and-roll-on-the-2/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I met Bill Clinton in 1977 while I was working as a news reporter for KARK-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas. Shortly after we met,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennifer-flowers/i-met-bill-clinton-in-1977-while-i-was-working-as-a-news-reporter-for/) [Gennifer Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennifer-flowers/) > [In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on TV. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-1957-when-i-was-in-second-grade-black-children-integrated-central/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [“Until one morning, one of the coldest mornings of the year, when I came in with the book cart and found Jean Hollis Clark,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-myron/until-one-morning-one-of-the-coldest-mornings-of-the-year-when-i-came/) [Vicki Myron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-myron/) > [I like to dress pretty basic during the day, but with a sophisticated bohemian spin, and sometimes a little rock chic. At night I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-ambrosio/i-like-to-dress-pretty-basic-during-the-day-but-with-a-sophisticated/) [Alessandra Ambrosio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-ambrosio/) > [What we've witnessed in the past 25 or 30 years is just incredible. We've birthed 30,000 or 40,000 restaurants. I used to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/what-we-ve-witnessed-in-the-past-25-or-30-years-is-just-incredible-we/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [“Drive away and try to keep smiling. Get a little rock and roll on the radio and go toward all the life there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/drive-away-and-try-to-keep-smiling-get-a-little-rock-and-roll-on-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“I can understand that people want to feel special and important and so on, but that self-obsession seems a bit pathetic somehow. Not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/i-can-understand-that-people-want-to-feel-special-and-important-and/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Instantly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling, but my buddy JD - my best man, whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bishop/instantly-i-was-overwhelmed-with-gratitude-i-didn-t-know-exactly-what/) [Bryan Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bishop/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) ## More by Dwight D. Eisenhower > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/every-gun-that-is-made-every-warship-launched-every-rocket-fired/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [We have won an armistice on a single battlefield, not peace in our world. We may not now relax our guard nor cease our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/we-have-won-an-armistice-on-a-single-battlefield-not-peace-in-our/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [With a full century of contrary proof in our possession and despite our demonstrated capacity for cooperative teamwork, some among us seem to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/with-a-full-century-of-contrary-proof-in-our-possession-and-despite/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Things are more like they are now than they ever were before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-ever-were-before/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/soldiers-sailors-and-airmen-of-the-allied-expeditionary-force-you-are/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/don-t-join-the-book-burners-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-conceal/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Knowledge-full, unfettered knowledge of its own heritage, of freedom's enemies, of the whole world of men and ideas-this knowledge is a free people's surest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/knowledge-full-unfettered-knowledge-of-its-own-heritage-of-freedom-s/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Any nations right to a form of government and economic system of its own choosing is inalienable. Any nations attempt to dictate to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/any-nations-right-to-a-form-of-government-and-economic-system-of-its/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The peace we seek, founded upon decent trust and cooperation among nations, can be fortified not by weapons of war but by wheat and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-peace-we-seek-founded-upon-decent-trust-and-cooperation-among/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The only way to win World War III is to prevent it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-only-way-to-win-world-war-iii-is-to-prevent-it/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I’m going to pass a law that no one can ask me my golf score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/i-m-going-to-pass-a-law-that-no-one-can-ask-me-my-golf-score/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [For all that we cherish and justly desire - for ourselves or for our children - the securing of peace is the first requisite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/for-all-that-we-cherish-and-justly-desire-for-ourselves-or-for-our/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/never-waste-a-minute-thinking-about-people-you-don-t-like/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Do not needlessly endanger your lives until I give you the signal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/do-not-needlessly-endanger-your-lives-until-i-give-you-the-signal/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) [Explore all 515 Dwight D. Eisenhower quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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