Political Quotes

On the record
But this Act is to be seen not merely in its open defiance of the Constitution, and of all legislative decencies; it must be considered, also, in two other aspects: first, in its consequences; and, secondly, in the character of its authors.
Said by
Charles Sumner
Massachusetts

Editor's note · Context

Sumner argues that the act should be evaluated not only for its legality but also for its broader implications and authorship.

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More from Charles Sumner

According to recent calculations, its annual cost is not less than a thousand millions of dollars.

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Again I repeat, so long as the War System prevails under the sanction of International Law, these painful incongruities will be apparent.

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But so long as War exists as an Institution this terrible inconsistency must appear.

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Their existence is a disgrace to civilization; for it implies the common consent of nations to the Arbitrament of War, as regulated by these laws.

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