Gerrit Smith Quotes

• Truth and mercy require the exertion – never the suppression, of man’s noble rights and powers.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Mercy, Exertion

• But as well may you, when urging a man up-hill with a heavy load upon his back, and with your lash also upon his back, tell him, that be has nothing to do either with the load or the lash.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Man, Urging

• It is manifestly vital to the success of the anti-slavery cause, that the authority and influence of proslavery, especially of slaveholding, ministers should be destroyed.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Influence, Success

• The Southern slave would obey God in respect to marriage, and also to the reading and studying of His word. But this, as we have seen, is forbidden him.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in God, Respect

• Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Human, Contrivance

• I trust, that your readers will not construe my words to mean, that I would not have gone to a 3 o’clock in the morning session, for the sake of defeating the Nebraska bill.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Readers

• It is not to be disguised, that a war has broken out between the North and the South. – Political and commercial men are industriously striving to restore peace: but the peace, which they would effect, is superficial, false, and temporary.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Political, Commercial, Peace

• When a good man lends himself to the advocacy of slavery, he must, at least for a time, feel himself to be any where but at home, amongst his new thoughts, doctrines, and modes of reasoning.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Advocacy, Slavery, Modes, Reasoning

• God cannot approve of a system of servitude, in which the master is guilty of assuming absolute power – of assuming God’s place and relation towards his fellow-men.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in God

  Tags in System, Servitude

• I believe that government is for the use of the people, and not the people for the use of the government.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Government

• I need say no more, to prove that slavery is entirely unlike the servitude in the patriarchal families.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Slavery, Servitude

• I am a plain man, and I care and know comparatively little about rhetoric.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Self, Care, Rhetoric

• As this is the first time I have had the floor, it may be well for me now to confess, that I am in the habit of freely imputing errors to my fellow-men.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Fellow-Men, Confess

• I do not subscribe to the doctrine that the people are the slaves and property of their government. I believe that government is for the use of the people, and not the people for the use of the government.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Government, Slaves, Property

• But I love honesty, and, therefore; do I make great account of facts.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Honesty

  Tags in Self -Love

• We must continue to judge of slavery by what it is, and not by what you tell us it will, or may be.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Judge, Slavery

• The only ground on which a neutral State can claim respect at the hands of belligerents is, that, so far as she is concerned, their rights are protected.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Person, Concerned

• The poor North has much to do with slavery. It staggers under its load and smarts under its lash.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Slavery

• Let us tell our legislators in advance, that this is a right, restraints on which, we will not, cannot bear; and that every attempt to restrain it is a palpable wrong on God and man.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Legislators, Right

• But, although America cannot be justly charged with violating the rights of Turkey, Turkey nevertheless can be justly charged with violating the rights of America.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in America

  Tags in Violating, Rights

Gerrit Smith (32)

Birth:	6th March, 1797
Death:	28th December, 1874
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Abolitionist, Philanthropist, Politician, Social Reformer

About

Gerrit Smith was born in Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA. He was an American social reformer, abolitionist, politician, and philanthropist. He was a candidate for President of the United States in 1848, 1856, and 1860. He served United States House of Representatives(Free Soil Party) from New York from March 4, 1853 – August 7, 1854. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1818. Besides making substantial donations of both land and money to the African-American community in North Elba and New York. He was involved in the Temperance Movement and, later in life, the colonization movement. A staunch abolitionist, he was a member of the Secret Six who financially supported John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

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