Charles James Fox Quotes
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How much the greatest event it is that ever happened in the world! And how much the best!
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Napoleon has now surpassed...Alexander & Caesar, not to mention the great advantage he has over them in the Cause he fights in.
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...the question now was...whether that beautiful fabric the English constitution...was to be maintained in that freedom...for which blood had been spilt; or whether we were to submit to that system of despotism, which had so many advocates in this country.
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I charged Mr. Pitt with having come into office upon unconstitutional grounds, and upon such principles as were disgraceful to himself, disgusting to the country, and such as must necessarily deprive him and his coadjutors of the confidence of that House.
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The true simple question of the present dispute is, whether the House of Lords and Court Influence shall predominate over the House of Commons, and annihilate its existence, or whether the House of Commons...shall have power to....regulate the prerogative of the Crown, which was ever ready to seize upon the freedom of the Electors of this country.
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What acquaintance have the people at large with the arena of political rectitude, with the connections of kingdoms, the resources of national strength, the abilities of ministers, or even with their own dispositions?...I pay no regard whatever to the voice of the people: it is their duty to do what is proper, without considering what may be agreeable.
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Kings govern by popular assemblies only when they cannot do without them.
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All political power is a trust.
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Gentlemen, the malicious and groundless Reports which have been spread, make it necessary for me to assure you, that notwithstanding all that has been said, I never have supported, nor ever will support, any Measure which can by any Means be prejudicial to the Protestant Religion, or in any way tend to establish Popery in this Kingdom.
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...for the truth is, I am gone something further in hate to the English Government than perhaps you and the rest of my friends are, and certainly further than can with prudence be avowed. The triumph of the French Government over the English does in fact afford me a degree of pleasure which it is very difficult to disguise.
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Any thing that proves that it is not in the power of Kings and Princes by their great armies to have every thing their own way is of such good example that without any good will to the French one can not help being delighted by it, and you know I have a natural partiality to what some people call rebels.
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Toleration in religion was one of the great rights of man, and a man ought never to be deprived of what was his natural right.
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It is intolerable that it should be in the power of one blockhead to do so much mischief.
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...he was indebted to his right honourable friend Edmund Burke for the greatest share of the political knowledge he possessed,-his political education had been formed under him,-his instructions had invariably governed his principles.
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...a greater evil than the restoration of the Bourbons to the world in general, and England in particular, can hardly happen.
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Our Sovereign's Health, the Majesty of the People.
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There is no man who hates the power of the crown more, or who has a worse opinion of the Person to whom it belongs than I.
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I stand, said Mr. Fox, upon this great principle. I say that the people of England have a right to control the executive power, by the interference of their representatives in this House of parliament. The right honourable gentleman William Pitt maintains the contrary. He is the cause of our political enmity.
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Religion was best understood when least talked of.
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There is not a power in Europe, no not even Bonaparte's that is so unlimited as the British monarchy.
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Bonaparte's wish is Peace, nay that he is afraid of war to the last degree.
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Peace is the wish of the French of Italy Spain Germany and all the world, and Great Britain alone the cause of preventing its accomplishment, and this not for any point of honour or even interest, but merely lest there should be an example in the modern world of a great powerful Republic.
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On speaking to Mr. Fox (who had just received the seals as Secretary of State) on the important event of the day, he said certainly things look very well, but he, meaning the King, will dye soon, and that will be best of all.
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I die happy.