--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Republics exist only on the tenure of…" description: "\"Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated… There is no republican road to safety but in constant distrust.\" — Wendell Phillips" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png" --- # Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly… ![“Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated… There is no republican road to safety but in constant distrust.” quote by Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png) > “Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated… There is no republican road to safety but in constant distrust.” [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. Republics require perpetual vigilance; safety comes only from distrust and agitation. **In simple terms:** Republics need constant alertness. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant, question complacency. Themes politics governance trust security citizenry Mood cautious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - public debates - policy making - community organizing Key Concepts democratic theory social contract political stability Questions to Reflect On - How can a republic balance vigilance with trust? - What mechanisms foster safe yet alert societies? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on distrust can erode social cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) [Tenure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenure/) ## Related quotes > [Republics exist only on tenure of being agitated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-tenure-of-being-agitated/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [“...I'm constantly agitated, restless - I work moments like worry beads until I see your face...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/i-m-constantly-agitated-restless-i-work-moments-like-worry-beads/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [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/) > [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 Constant quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [As I grow through love, so grows my joy, ever more present, ever more constant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/as-i-grow-through-love-so-grows-my-joy-ever-more-present-ever-more/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [People don't need sudden revelations. They get what they need when they need it, thought by thought by thought. It's a constant thing when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/people-don-t-need-sudden-revelations-they-get-what-they-need-when/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. The forces of nature discriminate for no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/fishing-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-democracy-of-life-of-humility/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Research is an organized method of trying to find out what you are going to do after you cannot do what you are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/research-is-an-organized-method-of-trying-to-find-out-what-you-are/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [I believe it's true that there's good and evil in everyone and it's a constant struggle to have your better angels prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-believe-it-s-true-that-there-s-good-and-evil-in-everyone-and-it-s-a/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [You're a constant student, as a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-bell/you-re-a-constant-student-as-a-musician/) [Joshua Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-bell/) > [Intimacy requires an ability to both merge and be separate, to come together and be apart, like oscillating on a giant swing from oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-sophia-kasl/intimacy-requires-an-ability-to-both-merge-and-be-separate-to-come/) [Charlotte Sophia Kasl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-sophia-kasl/) Browse all 3,025 Constant quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated… There is no republican road to safety but in constant distrust.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wendell Phillips" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-being-constantly-agitated-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-being-constantly-agitated-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/wendell-phillips-3986_constant_republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-be_1164788.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated… There is no republican road to safety but…” — 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 the tenure...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-being-constantly-agitated-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/republics-exist-only-on-the-tenure-of-being-constantly-agitated-there/#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 } } ] } ```