Civil war Quote by Rutherford B. Hayes
“Disunion and civil war are at hand; and yet I fear disunion and war less than compromise. We can recover from them. The free States alone, if we must go on alone, will make a glorious nation. Twenty millions in the temperate zone, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, full of vigor, industry, inventive genius, educated, and moral; increasing by immigration rapidly, and, above all, free--all free--will form a confederacy of twenty States scarcely inferior in real power to the unfortunate Union of thirty-three States which we had on the first of November.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Inaugural Address, 1877
He warns that disunion and war are preferable to a compromised union, envisioning a strong, free confederacy of twenty states.
In simple terms: War is seen as better than a weak compromise.
Key Takeaway
Consider the costs of division versus compromise.
Themes
politics
national unity
historical perspective
Mood
reflective
cautious
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political debates
- historical analysis
- education curricula
- public discourse
Key Concepts
federalism
regional identity
conflict
vision
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the risks of prioritizing unity over compromise?
- How can diverse regions cooperate without conflict?
A Different Perspective
Compromise may preserve peace and stability.
![“My father and mother in 1817 were forty-nine days on the road with their emigrant wagons [from Vermont] to Ohio. More than two days for each hour that I spent in the same journey.” quote by Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/290/rutherford-b-hayes-3486_father_my-father-and-mother-in-1817-were-forty_289081.jpg)
