Frederick Douglass: “The body of the nation was everything; the soul of the nation was…”

On the record

The body of the nation was everything; the soul of the nation was nothing.

Said by

Frederick Douglass

Source

This quote contrasts the material and spiritual needs of a nation, emphasizing the importance of both.

More from Frederick Douglass

Jan 1, 1881

True it is that this faith was many times shaken by passing events, but never destroyed.

Jan 1, 1881

The laws which determine the destinies of individuals and nations are impartial and eternal.

Jan 1, 1881

Treason had shot its poisonous roots deeper, and had spread its death-dealing branches further than any northern calculation had covered.

Jan 1, 1881

It only abolished slavery where it did not exist, and left it intact where it did exist.

Frederick Douglass: “The body of the nation was everything; the soul of the nation was nothing.”