Barbarism Quote by Horace Mann
“To-day Massachusetts; and the whole of the American republic, from the border of Maine to the Pacific slopes, and from the Lakes to the Gulf, stand upon the immutable and everlasting principles of equal and exact justice. The days of unrequited labor are numbered with the past. Fugitive slave laws are only remembered as relics of that barbarism which John Wesley pronounced "the sum of all villainies," and whose knowledge of its blighting effects was matured by his travels in Georgia and the Carolinas.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address to Massachusetts Legislature, 1855
The nation stands on enduring principles of justice, and oppressive laws are fading relics of a barbaric past.
In simple terms: Justice is foundational; old injustices are disappearing.
Key Takeaway
Uphold equality and reject outdated oppression.
Themes
justice
equality
history
reform
Mood
determined
hopeful
Type
historical
motivational
When to use this quote
- legislative debate
- education reform
- civil rights activism
- public policy
- community organizing
Key Concepts
civil rights
legal evolution
moral progress
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can societies take to fully realize equal justice?
- How can we remember past injustices to prevent their return?
A Different Perspective
Change is slow and faces entrenched interests.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
![“[Much] as war attracts me and fascinates my mind with its tremendous situations, I feel more deeply every year . . . what vile and wicked folly and barbarism it all is.” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e15/winston-churchill-95_barbarism_much-as-war-attracts-me-and-fascinates-m_68452.jpg)
