Richard Cobden

“Free Trade! What is it? Why, breaking down the barriers that separate nations; those barriers, behind which nestle the feelings of pride, revenge, hatred, and jealousy, which every now and then burst their bounds, and deluge whole countries with blood.”

“I am for a government rigorously frugal, and simple.”

“The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible.”

“Peace will come to earth when the people have more to do with each other and governments less.”

“The progress of freedom depends more upon the maintenance of peace, the spread of commerce, and the diffusion of education, than upon the labours of cabinets and foreign offices.”

“War is the curse of the world.”

“I consider that the man who is not prepared to do his own thinking is not a man at all.”

“Our object is to make the powers of government as little felt as possible in the domestic concerns of the people.”

“Every man has a right to have his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.”

“Public opinion is the great enemy of the State.”

“Look not to the politicians; look to yourselves.”