--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Republics exist only on tenure of being…" description: "\"Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.\" — Wendell Phillips" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png" --- # Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated. ![“Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.” quote by Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png) > “Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.” [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social movements persist only while they remain agitated; complacency ends their existence. **In simple terms:** Movements need ongoing agitation. Key Takeaway Keep the cause alive through active engagement. Themes activism politics change agitation tenure Mood determined urgent Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - protests - campaign planning - grassroots organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts social dynamics collective action motivation Questions to Reflect On - What fuels sustained activism? - How to prevent activist fatigue? A Different Perspective Agitation can lead to burnout or backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agitated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agitated/) [Exist Tenure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-tenure-3365406/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Republics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republics/) [Republics Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republics-exist-3349923/) [Tenure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenure/) [Tenure Agitated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenure-agitated-3365405/) ## Related quotes > [Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated… There is no republican road to safety but in constant distrust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-being-constantly-agitated-there/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [No class is safe unless government is so arranged that each class has in its hands the means of protecting itself. That is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/no-class-is-safe-unless-government-is-so-arranged-that-each-class-has/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [“Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality, for how we live is so far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-have-imagined-republics-and-principalities-which-have-never-been/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/i-believe-there-are-more-instances-of-the-abridgment-of-the-freedom/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [ \[A\]ll popular and well-mixed governments \[republics\] . . . are ever established by wise and good men, and can never be upheld otherwise than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-sidney/a-ll-popular-and-well-mixed-governments-republics-are-ever/) [Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-sidney/) > [Republics have a longer life and enjoy better fortune than principalities, because they can profit by their greater internal diversity. They are the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/republics-have-a-longer-life-and-enjoy-better-fortune-than/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Royalty is a government in which the attention of the nation is concentrated on one person doing interesting actions. A Republic is a government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/royalty-is-a-government-in-which-the-attention-of-the-nation-is/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Kings play at war unfairly with republics; they can only lose some earth, and some creatures they value as little, while republics lose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/kings-play-at-war-unfairly-with-republics-they-can-only-lose-some/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Like all of Latin America, Mexico after independence in 1821 turned its back on a triple heritage: on the Spanish heritage, because we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/like-all-of-latin-america-mexico-after-independence-in-1821-turned/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [It is impossible to read the history of the petty republics of Greece and Italy without feeling sensations of horror and disgust at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-impossible-to-read-the-history-of-the-petty-republics-of-greece/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The fake republics are goners; the monarchies have a fighting chance. That's my conclusion after a short visit to the Middle East and discussions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-fake-republics-are-goners-the-monarchies-have-a-fighting-chance/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Some countries have a parliamentary republic, some are presidential republics and some are still monarchies, but no one sees them as not being democratic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/some-countries-have-a-parliamentary-republic-some-are-presidential/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Republics are brought to their ends by luxury; monarchies by poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-de-montesquieu/republics-are-brought-to-their-ends-by-luxury-monarchies-by-poverty/) [Baron de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-de-montesquieu/) > [“The freest people, like the freest man, is always in danger of re-lapsing into servitude. Wars are almost always fatal to Republics. They create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/the-freest-people-like-the-freest-man-is-always-in-danger-of-re/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [There are still to be found visionary or designing men, who stand ready to advocate the paradox of perpetual peace between the states, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/there-are-still-to-be-found-visionary-or-designing-men-who-stand/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) ## More by Wendell Phillips > [Right is the eternal sun; the world cannot delay its coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/right-is-the-eternal-sun-the-world-cannot-delay-its-coming/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The best education in the world is that got by struggling to get a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-best-education-in-the-world-is-that-got-by-struggling-to-get-a/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty-power-is-ever-stealing-from/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The Puritan's idea of hell is a place where everybody has to mind his own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-puritan-s-idea-of-hell-is-a-place-where-everybody-has-to-mind-his/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The paleontological evidence before us today clearly demonstrates ordered progressive change with the successive development of new faunal and floral assemblages through the changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-paleontological-evidence-before-us-today-clearly-demonstrates/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The press is the exclusive literature of the million; to them it is literature, church, and college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-press-is-the-exclusive-literature-of-the-million-to-them-it-is/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Every government is always growing corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/every-government-is-always-growing-corrupt/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Neither do I acknowledge the right of Plymouth to the whole rock. No, the rock underlies all America: it only crops out here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/neither-do-i-acknowledge-the-right-of-plymouth-to-the-whole-rock-no/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The heart beats louder and the soul hears quicker in silence and solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-heart-beats-louder-and-the-soul-hears-quicker-in-silence-and/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Freedom to preach was first gained, dragging in its train freedom to print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/freedom-to-preach-was-first-gained-dragging-in-its-train-freedom-to/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Politicians are like the bones of a horse's foreshoulder-not a straight one in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/politicians-are-like-the-bones-of-a-horse-s-foreshoulder-not-a/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Wants awaken intellect. To gratify them disciplines intellect. The keener the want the lustier the growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/wants-awaken-intellect-to-gratify-them-disciplines-intellect-the/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Popular opinion is oftenest, what Carlyle pronounced it to be, a lie!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/popular-opinion-is-oftenest-what-carlyle-pronounced-it-to-be-a-lie/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/great-political-questions-stir-the-deepest-nature-of-one-half-the/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Organize, and stand together. Claim something together, and at once; let the nation hear a united demand from the laboring voice, and then, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/organize-and-stand-together-claim-something-together-and-at-once-let/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) [Explore all 117 Wendell Phillips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) ## More Agitated quotes > [“If lies comfort, and truth disturbs - self is being agitated as a result of prideful living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/if-lies-comfort-and-truth-disturbs-self-is-being-agitated-as-a-result/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [I keep myself away from negativity because it leaves me agitated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishnu-vishal/i-keep-myself-away-from-negativity-because-it-leaves-me-agitated/) [Vishnu Vishal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishnu-vishal/) > [Anxiety is our agitated soul scrambling for control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/anxiety-is-our-agitated-soul-scrambling-for-control/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [“…Elizabeth, agitated and confused, rather knew that she was happy, than felt herself to be so…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/elizabeth-agitated-and-confused-rather-knew-that-she-was-happy-than/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Don't fucking quote me!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roni-batti-kajou/don-t-fucking-quote-me/) [Roni Batti Kajou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roni-batti-kajou/) > [I think that you have to let yourself be agitated and annoyed and not be fully comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-spektor/i-think-that-you-have-to-let-yourself-be-agitated-and-annoyed-and-not/) [Regina Spektor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-spektor/) > [“Roman’s eyes narrowed. He had an inkling what had his men so agitated. It wasn’t even the boy’s pretty face or blowjob lips. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-hazard/roman-s-eyes-narrowed-he-had-an-inkling-what-had-his-men-so-agitated/) [Alessandra Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-hazard/) > [She was feeling, thinking, trembling about everything; agitated, happy, miserable, infinitely obliged, absolutely angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/she-was-feeling-thinking-trembling-about-everything-agitated-happy/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Well aware that to bring the voice of sober reason to bear upon the exaggerations of agitated females was both fruitless and perilous, Freddy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/well-aware-that-to-bring-the-voice-of-sober-reason-to-bear-upon-the/) [Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/) > [Because of my bipolar disorder, I tend to these mixed states, which are depressed but loud and agitated. So I can be terribly irritable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/because-of-my-bipolar-disorder-i-tend-to-these-mixed-states-which-are/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [“I just called to tell you good night. Get some sleep, Theia. Tomorrow is a big day.” “I would sleep much better if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-hayes/i-just-called-to-tell-you-good-night-get-some-sleep-theia-tomorrow-is/) [Gwen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-hayes/) > [I don't want to be agitated so much on television. I don't need to watch any more agitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-don-t-want-to-be-agitated-so-much-on-television-i-don-t-need-to/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [Your mind is like this water my friend, when it is agitated it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oogway/your-mind-is-like-this-water-my-friend-when-it-is-agitated-it-becomes/) [Oogway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oogway/) > [When he held her that way, she felt so happy that it disturbed her. After he left, it would take her hours to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-he-held-her-that-way-she-felt-so-happy-that-it-disturbed-her/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [Minds that are ill at ease are agitated by both hope and fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/minds-that-are-ill-at-ease-are-agitated-by-both-hope-and-fear/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) [Browse all 71 Agitated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agitated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wendell Phillips" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being-agitated/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agitated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being-agitated/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/wendell-phillips-3986_agitated_republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being_1978511.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.” — Wendell Phillips", "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": "Wendell Phillips", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Republics exist only on tenure of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being-agitated/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being-agitated/#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 } } ] } ```