Elihu Root Quotes

Elihu Root (American - Lawyer)

 

February 15, 1845 - February 7, 1937

 

ⓒ Wikipedia

 

 

 

Cruelty to men and to the lower animals as well, which would have passed unnoticed a century ago, now shocks the sensibilities and is regarded as wicked and degrading.

 

 

 

Claims of right and insistence upon obligations may depend upon treaty stipulations, or upon the rules of international law, or upon the sense of natural justice applied to the circumstances of a particular case, or upon disputed facts.

 

 

 

Secretary of War Stanton used to get out of patience with Lincoln because he was all the time pardoning men who ought to be shot.

 

 

 

There is so much of good in human nature that men grow to like each other upon better acquaintance, and this points to another way in which we may strive to promote the peace of the world.

 

 

 

The point of departure of the process to which we wish to contribute is the fact that war is the natural reaction of human nature in the savage state, while peace is the result of acquired characteristics.

 

 

 

Men do not fail; they give up trying.

 

 

 

The wolf always charges the lamb with muddying the stream.

 

 

 

The attractive idea that we can now have a parliament of man with authority to control the conduct of nations by legislation or an international police force with power to enforce national conformity to rules of right conduct is a counsel of perfection.

 

 

 

The growth of modern constitutional government compels for its successful practice the exercise of reason and considerate judgment by the individual citizens who constitute the electorate.

 

 

 

Honest people, mistakenly believing in the justice of their cause, are led to support injustice.