Gerrit Smith Quotes

• I prefer, in a word, the republican system, because it comes up more nearly to God’s system.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Republican, System

• 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

• 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

• 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

• True, permanent peace can never be restored, until slavery, the occasion of the war, has ceased.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in True, Slavery, Occasion

• To say, that Capt. Ingraham violated the rights of Turkey, is nonsense.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Turkey

• To no human charter am I indebted for my rights.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Human Rights

• There is room in our ranks for the old and decrepit, as well as the young and vigorous.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Young, Vigorous

• There is one class of men, whom it especially behoves to be tenacious of the right of free discussion. I mean the poor.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Tenacious, Discussion

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Our concern, however, is with slavery as it is, and not with any theory of it.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Slavery, Theory

• My rights all spring front an infinitely nobler source – from favor and grace of God.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in God

  Tags in Nobler, Source

• 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

• Let the poor man count as his enemy, and his worst enemy, every invader of the right of free discussion.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Enemy

  Tags in Worst

• It, sometimes, suits the slaveholders to claim, that their slavery is an exclusively State concern; and that the North has, therefore, nothing to do with it.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Slavery, Concerned

• 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

• I welcomed the organization of the Anti-slavery Society.

  Gerrit Smith

  Topics in Society

  Tags in Organization

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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