--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be idle to say that we were not…" description: "\"It would be idle to say that we were not, from time to time, aware that a volcano slumbered fitfully beneath us. There were dark sides to the Slavery Q..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-virginia-terhune-55975_dark_it-would-be-idle-to-say-that-we-were-not_2793741.png" --- # It would be idle to say that we were not, from time to… ![“It would be idle to say that we were not, from time to time, aware that a volcano slumbered fitfully beneath us. There were dark sides to the Slavery Question, for master, as for slave.” quote by Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-virginia-terhune-55975_dark_it-would-be-idle-to-say-that-we-were-not_2793741.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-virginia-terhune-55975_dark_it-would-be-idle-to-say-that-we-were-not_2793741.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-virginia-terhune-55975_dark_it-would-be-idle-to-say-that-we-were-not_2793741.png) > “It would be idle to say that we were not, from time to time, aware that a volcano slumbered fitfully beneath us. There were dark sides to the Slavery Question, for master, as for slave.” [Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Volcanoes of slavery’s dark side simmer beneath society, occasionally surfacing. **In simple terms:** Dark aspects of slavery linger unseen. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden injustices. Themes history slavery hidden conflict Mood somber reflective Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - education - social justice - public discourse Key Concepts volcanic metaphor social awareness Questions to Reflect On - What hidden injustices persist today? - How can societies address deep‑rooted issues? A Different Perspective Acknowledging darkness can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-side/) [Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idle/) [Master Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master-slave-723089/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Sides Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides-slavery-3399290/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-question-925566/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Volcano Slumbered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volcano-slumbered-3399289/) [Volcanoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volcanoes/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [But, sir, the great cause of complaint now is the slavery question, and the questions growing out of it. If there is any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brown-baldwin/but-sir-the-great-cause-of-complaint-now-is-the-slavery-question-and/) [John Brown Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brown-baldwin/) > [Slavery is not the only question which comes up in this controversy. There is a far more important one to you, and that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/slavery-is-not-the-only-question-which-comes-up-in-this-controversy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am now speaking of rights under the Constitution, and not of moral or religious rights. I do not discuss the morals of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-douglas/i-am-now-speaking-of-rights-under-the-constitution-and-not-of-moral/) [Stephen A. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-douglas/) > [In the way our Fathers originally left the slavery question, the institution was in the course of ultimate extinction, and the public mind rested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-the-way-our-fathers-originally-left-the-slavery-question-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [First then, it is apparent, horribly apparent, that the slavery question rides insolently over every other everywhere - in fact that is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-benning/first-then-it-is-apparent-horribly-apparent-that-the-slavery-question/) [Henry L. Benning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-benning/) > [Be your money's master, not its slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/be-your-money-s-master-not-its-slave/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [Money, as it increases, becomes either the master or the slave of ts owner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/money-as-it-increases-becomes-either-the-master-or-the-slave-of-ts/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [He is sometimes slave who should be master; and sometimes master who should be slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/he-is-sometimes-slave-who-should-be-master-and-sometimes-master-who/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“True freedom is in not having a master, but in making the master your slave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/true-freedom-is-in-not-having-a-master-but-in-making-the-master-your/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-whole-commerce-between-master-and-slave-is-a-perpetual-exercise/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Slavery is as much about the psychological control of the master over the slave as of the physical domination, cruelty and exploitation which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/slavery-is-as-much-about-the-psychological-control-of-the-master-over/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [I demanded a realm in which I should be both master and slave at the same time: The world of art is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-demanded-a-realm-in-which-i-should-be-both-master-and-slave-at-the/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“The game was sinful, But she was more playful. She needs to be taught, With every drop of the wax dot. With my every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delicious-david/the-game-was-sinful-but-she-was-more-playful-she-needs-to-be-taught/) [Delicious David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delicious-david/) > [Your son at five is your master, at ten your slave, at fifteen your double, and after that, your friend or foe, depending on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasdai-ibn-shaprut/your-son-at-five-is-your-master-at-ten-your-slave-at-fifteen-your/) [Hasdai ibn Shaprut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasdai-ibn-shaprut/) > [“Looking back upon my career, I see myself as a person capable of undertaking almost any task, any vocation. It was the monotony and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/looking-back-upon-my-career-i-see-myself-as-a-person-capable-of/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) ## More by Mary Virginia Terhune > [Fruits each in its season, are the cheapest, most elegant and wholesome dessert you can offer your family or friends, at luncheon or tea.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-virginia-terhune/fruits-each-in-its-season-are-the-cheapest-most-elegant-and-wholesome/) [Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) > [Woman--with a capital letter--should by now have ceased to be a specialty. There should be no more need of "movements" on her behalf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-virginia-terhune/woman-with-a-capital-letter-should-by-now-have-ceased-to-be-a/) [Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) > [ They \[potatoes\] are good for boys cold fingers at suppertime on winter nights. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-virginia-terhune/they-potatoes-are-good-for-boys-cold-fingers-at-suppertime-on-winter/) [Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) > [Never deny the babies their Christmas! It is the shining seal set upon, a year of happiness. Let them believe in Santa Claus, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-virginia-terhune/never-deny-the-babies-their-christmas-it-is-the-shining-seal-set-upon/) [Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) > [Not being ambitious of martyrdom, even in the cause of gastronomical enterprise, especially if the instrument is to be a contemptible, rank-smelling fungus, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-virginia-terhune/not-being-ambitious-of-martyrdom-even-in-the-cause-of-gastronomical/) [Mary Virginia Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) [Explore all 6 Mary Virginia Terhune quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-virginia-terhune/) ## More Dark quotes > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“I could see her will leaving and death seeping through her skin to skewer her soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/i-could-see-her-will-leaving-and-death-seeping-through-her-skin-to/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so, wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-zimmerman/the-soul-wanders-in-the-dark-until-it-finds-love-and-so-wherever-our/) [Mary Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-zimmerman/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [All comedy comes from a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/all-comedy-comes-from-a-dark-place/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Let death bless me with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-death-bless-me-with-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“what do you call/that space between the dark geographies of sex?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethaway/what-do-you-call-that-space-between-the-dark-geographies-of-sex/) [Natasha Trethaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethaway/) > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) [Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/) > [Even in the dark your shadow is like a guide to me! you are my rising sun that brings forth hope just as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/even-in-the-dark-your-shadow-is-like-a-guide-to-me-you-are-my-rising/) [Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/) [Browse all 10,198 Dark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It would be idle to say that we were not, from time to time, aware that a volcano slumbered fitfully beneath us. 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