American civil war Quote by Shelby Foote
““Our popular government has often been called an experiment. Two points in it our people have already settled, the successful establishing and the successful administering of it. One still remains—its successful maintenance against a formidable attempt to overthrow it. It is now for them to demonstrate to the world that those who can fairly carry an election can also suppress a rebellion, that ballots are the rightful and peaceful successors of bullets, and that when ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal except to ballots themselves at succeeding elections. Such will be a great lesson of peace, teaching men that what they cannot take by an election, neither can they take by war—teaching all the folly of being the beginners of a war.” In””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Civil War: A Narrative, 1974
Democracy’s strength lies in fair elections that replace violent conflict, ensuring peace through ballots.
In simple terms: Fair elections prevent war.
Key Takeaway
Respect the ballot.
Themes
democracy
peace
politics
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- elections
- government stability
- conflict resolution
- public discourse
Key Concepts
legitimacy
civilian control
nonviolence
Questions to Reflect On
- Can elections truly deter all rebellions?
- What other safeguards complement voting?
A Different Perspective
Ballots alone cannot stop all unrest.
![“The triumph of the Confederacy... would be a victory for the powers of evil which would give courage to the enemies of progress and damp the sprits of its friends all over the civilized world... [The American Civil War] is destined to be a turning point, for good or evil, of the course of human…” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/645/john-stuart-mill-477_affair_the-triumph-of-the-confederacy-would-be_182321.jpg)
