Posted on 09/09/2018 12:21:42 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America is a beloved, canonical text; the urge to quote from it is understandably great. Politicians ever seek to demonstrate familiarity with it, from Bill Clinton to Pat Buchanan. One of their favorite quotes runs as follows:
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there. . . . in her fertile fields and bound less forests—and it was not there. . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there. . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
These lines are uplifting and poetic. They are also spurious. Nowhere do they appear in Democracy in America, or anywhere else in Tocqueville.
The authenticity of the passage came into question when first-year government students at Claremont McKenna College received an assignment: Find a contemporary speech quoting Tocqueville, and determine how accurately the speaker used the quotation. A student soon uncovered a recent Senate floor speech that cited the "America is great" line. He scoured Democracy in America, but could not find the passage. The professor looked, too -- and it was not there.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
Isn’t the truth? I recall that one quote where Tocqueville said that Lincoln was right, and people really would believe whatever they’d read on the internet.
But he was the first to say “Diversity is strength”
You are not quite correct, as Lincoln was not around then. The quote you refer to involved Brian Williams. /s
Sad but true, but there are a lot of urban myths and misquotes out there, and our side can be guilty of this at times. I am pretty sure that Chesterton’s famous quote about people believing in anything is only partly his. And as far as I can tell, Voltaire’s home was never used to publish Bibles.
Our nation is on the verge of fracturing and the Weekly Standard tosses this out for discussion. They are truly irrelevant.
OK, but if this is not a DeToqueville quote ..... is it ANYONE’S ?
“All freedom loving people’s will NOT have possession of firearms interfered with”. Alexis de Tocqueville. Sounds good.
If I recall, he said that on April 16, 1865
When I first learned Toqueville never actually wrote this, I began to get very careful about quotes and now almost always check the accuracy first.
A couple months ago, I read a quote attributed to Churchville and could not find it anywhere else. I came across a website online dedicated to Churchill quotes. I emailed to ask them and got a return email rather quickly concluding that the quote was not uttered by Sir Winston.
The man who responded to me was Winston Churchill’s grandson. How cool is that?
Pffft! Do I need to bring up what Chester A. Arthur said about “/s” comments?
I believe this observation has great merit and if not already attributed I would like to claim credit.
All these years I had believed that IGNORANCE is strength!
Quoth Tocqueville to Noah.
OK, Big Shot, but in which year did he exclaim, “Death to America”?
Next we’ll find out that General Anthony McAuliffe never said “nuts!”
Also, the inventer of the Internet, Al Gore....
No...That was my drill instructor...He said, as we were lining up...”Nuts....to butts!!!!!!”
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