--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While the Governor, and the Mayor, and…" description: "\"While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of liberty are imprisoned.\" — Henry David Tho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg" --- # While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers… ![“While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of liberty are imprisoned.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg) > “While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of liberty are imprisoned.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority can imprison freedom, yet true liberty thrives in resistance. **In simple terms:** Freedom lives in dissent. Key Takeaway Stand up for justice. Themes freedom authority civil rights Mood defiant inspirational Type political philosophical When to use this quote - protests - legal challenges - activism - journalism Key Concepts Civil disobedience political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does liberty mean to you? - How can you act responsibly? A Different Perspective Risk of violent backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) [Commonwealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonwealth/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governors/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Mayors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) ## Related quotes > [“The champions of liberty have the medal for any necklace. (Les champions de la liberte - Ont la médaille pour tout collier)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-leusse/the-champions-of-liberty-have-the-medal-for-any-necklace-les/) [Charles de Leusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-leusse/) > [Champions of Liberty get called Fascists by Champions of Statism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/champions-of-liberty-get-called-fascists-by-champions-of-statism/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“I have known many of those pretended champions for liberty in my time, yet do I not remember one that was not in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/i-have-known-many-of-those-pretended-champions-for-liberty-in-my-time/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed in them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-houses-are-such-unwieldy-property-that-we-are-often-imprisoned-3/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I have not read far in the statutes of this Commonwealth. It is not profitable reading. They do not always say what is true;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-not-read-far-in-the-statutes-of-this-commonwealth-it-is-not/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Dissidents are not imprisoned as in the domains of the Kremlin, in the old days. They do not have their brains blown out by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/dissidents-are-not-imprisoned-as-in-the-domains-of-the-kremlin-in-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The servants of a queen, even a queen under arrest, were not usually supposed to be physically higher than she was. Did the women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-clark/the-servants-of-a-queen-even-a-queen-under-arrest-were-not-usually/) Nicola Clark > [“at Florence which included diplomatic missions to various European courts. Imprisoned”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/at-florence-which-included-diplomatic-missions-to-various-european/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“I can confidently state that the greatest rescues in my life have occurred when I’ve been saved from myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-can-confidently-state-that-the-greatest-rescues-in-my-life-have/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“A prisoner is imprisoned by the crime that he has committed. A jailer is imprisoned — in the very same prison — by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-prisoner-is-imprisoned-by-the-crime-that-he-has-committed-a-jailer/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Ibn Taymiyyah lived poorly. He was imprisoned and threatened. But I have never seen anyone as happy as him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/ibn-taymiyyah-lived-poorly-he-was-imprisoned-and-threatened-but-i/) [Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/) > [Through my work with PETA, I have learned a great deal about chimpanzee behavior and the plight of chimpanzees imprisoned in laboratories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/through-my-work-with-peta-i-have-learned-a-great-deal-about/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [Most people spend their entire life imprisoned within the confines of their own thoughts. They never go beyond a narrow, mind-made, personalized sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/most-people-spend-their-entire-life-imprisoned-within-the-confines-of/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [She seemed imprisoned in her sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sena-jeter-naslund/she-seemed-imprisoned-in-her-sadness/) [Sena Jeter Naslund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sena-jeter-naslund/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Champion quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [I have to be No. 1 pound-for-pound champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/islam-makhachev/i-have-to-be-no-1-pound-for-pound-champion/) [Islam Makhachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/islam-makhachev/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [I still have to unify my division and basically become the undefeated welterweight champion of the world. I can't lose. It is more added…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-spence-jr/i-still-have-to-unify-my-division-and-basically-become-the-undefeated/) [Errol Spence Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-spence-jr/) > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [The truth is the Vintage Vitor never left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/the-truth-is-the-vintage-vitor-never-left/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [Winners are born, Champions are made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-falcon-scott/winners-are-born-champions-are-made/) [Robert Falcon Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-falcon-scott/) > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [To be a champion long-distance runner you have to run on the edge of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toshihiko-seko/to-be-a-champion-long-distance-runner-you-have-to-run-on-the-edge-of/) Toshihiko Seko > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them-a desire, a dream, a vison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/champions-are-made-from-something-they-have-deep-inside-of-them-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) [Browse all 2,649 Champion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of liberty are imprisoned.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-countless-officers-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Champion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-countless-officers-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/henry-david-thoreau-20_champion_while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-cou_1855484.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "While the Governor, and the Mayor,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-countless-officers-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-countless-officers-of-the/#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 } } ] } ```