--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thus I have maintained by English…" description: "\"Thus I have maintained by English history, that in proportion as the press has been free, English government has been secure.\" — Thomas Erskine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg" --- # Thus I have maintained by English history, that in… ![“Thus I have maintained by English history, that in proportion as the press has been free, English government has been secure.” quote by Thomas Erskine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg) > “Thus I have maintained by English history, that in proportion as the press has been free, English government has been secure.” Thomas Erskine ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote links a free press to governmental security, implying that press freedom safeguards political stability. **In simple terms:** Free press supports government security. Key Takeaway Protect press freedom to ensure stability. Themes freedom press government security democracy Mood analytical concerned Type political historical When to use this quote - journalism - policy making - public discourse - activism Key Concepts political theory civil liberties media studies Questions to Reflect On - What role does a free press play in modern democracies? - How can governments balance security and press freedom? A Different Perspective May ignore that press can also destabilize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-history/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) ## Related quotes > [One of the specific powers and responsibilities of the federal government is to secure the borders. Property can be taken with due process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/one-of-the-specific-powers-and-responsibilities-of-the-federal/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government is to secure the existence of the body politic; to protect it, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-end-of-the-institution-maintenance-and-administration-of/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-only-orthodox-object-of-the-institution-of-government-is-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If you believe that the job of the federal government is to secure this country, it's really important for you to understand that success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-believe-that-the-job-of-the-federal-government-is-to-secure/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Of the people, by the people, for the people,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/of-the-people-by-the-people-for-the-people/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) > [In my opinion, a war between England and Germany was a war between brothers. In my inner self I admired the English government and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-schellenberg/in-my-opinion-a-war-between-england-and-germany-was-a-war-between/) Walter Schellenberg > [Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/let-us-never-forget-that-government-is-ourselves-and-not-an-alien/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [In reviewing the history of the English Government, its wars and its taxes, a bystander, not blinded by prejudice nor warped by interest, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/in-reviewing-the-history-of-the-english-government-its-wars-and-its/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Herein indeed consists the excellence of the English government, that all parts of it form a mutual check upon each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/herein-indeed-consists-the-excellence-of-the-english-government-that/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [The English government having determined not to respect my rights as a French citizen and officer, and summoned me before a court martial, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfe-tone/the-english-government-having-determined-not-to-respect-my-rights-as/) [Wolfe Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfe-tone/) > [My mother was a professor of English and History.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonu-sood/my-mother-was-a-professor-of-english-and-history/) [Sonu Sood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonu-sood/) > [Just heard Paul Scholes has retired, best I’ve ever played against by a mile. Most technically gifted player in english history. Legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-barton/just-heard-paul-scholes-has-retired-best-i-ve-ever-played-against-by/) [Joey Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-barton/) > [“Gower is the first English writer to use "history" as an English word. He regularly rhymes the term with "memory," for to his way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-a-peck/gower-is-the-first-english-writer-to-use-history-as-an-english-word/) Russell A. Peck > [But once a fool always a fool, and the greater the power in his hands the more disastrous is likely to be the use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-frazer/but-once-a-fool-always-a-fool-and-the-greater-the-power-in-his-hands/) [James G. Frazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-frazer/) > [Although I've lived in England for more than twenty years, I still have a foreigner's passion for all the details of English history and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/although-i-ve-lived-in-england-for-more-than-twenty-years-i-still/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) ## More by Thomas Erskine > [Let him who plays the monarch be a king; Who plays the rogue, be perfect in his part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/let-him-who-plays-the-monarch-be-a-king-who-plays-the-rogue-be/) Thomas Erskine > [In the New Testament, religion is grace and ethics is gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/in-the-new-testament-religion-is-grace-and-ethics-is-gratitude/) Thomas Erskine > [The French have taste in all they do - which we are quite without; For Nature, that to them gave gout, To us gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/the-french-have-taste-in-all-they-do-which-we-are-quite-without-for/) Thomas Erskine Explore all 4 Thomas Erskine quotes ## More English government quotes > [The English government having determined not to respect my rights as a French citizen and officer, and summoned me before a court martial, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfe-tone/the-english-government-having-determined-not-to-respect-my-rights-as/) [Wolfe Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfe-tone/) > [Herein indeed consists the excellence of the English government, that all parts of it form a mutual check upon each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/herein-indeed-consists-the-excellence-of-the-english-government-that/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [In reviewing the history of the English Government, its wars and its taxes, a bystander, not blinded by prejudice nor warped by interest, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/in-reviewing-the-history-of-the-english-government-its-wars-and-its/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/let-us-never-forget-that-government-is-ourselves-and-not-an-alien/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [In my opinion, a war between England and Germany was a war between brothers. In my inner self I admired the English government and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-schellenberg/in-my-opinion-a-war-between-england-and-germany-was-a-war-between/) Walter Schellenberg > [Of the people, by the people, for the people,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/of-the-people-by-the-people-for-the-people/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) Browse all 7 English government quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thus I have maintained by English history, that in proportion as the press has been free, English government has been secure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Erskine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-history-that-in-proportion-as-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "English government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-history-that-in-proportion-as-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/thomas-erskine-67717_english-government_thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-histor_2859390.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thus I have maintained by English history, that in proportion as the press has been free, English government…” — Thomas Erskine", "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": "Thomas Erskine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-erskine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thus I have maintained by English...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-history-that-in-proportion-as-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine/thus-i-have-maintained-by-english-history-that-in-proportion-as-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 } } ] } ```