Elijah Parish Lovejoy Quotes

I cannot sacrifice or compromise my principles.

There is nothing so inconvenient in this world as an absolutely truthful person, who can both speak and write, and has the courage of his convictions. One can always arrange matters with liars ... But with the man or woman who holds truth dearer than life, and honor more valuable than advancement, there is nothing to be done, now that governments cannot insist on the hemlock-cure, as in the case of Socrates.

I have principles and I am not going to be forced to compromise them.

A taste for truth at any cost is a passion which spares nothing.

Never compromise a principle or relinquish a vital truth.

We sincerely and earnestly believe in peace; but if peace and justice conflict, we scorn the man who would not stand for justice though the whole world came in arms against him.

A man that puts himself on the ground of moral principle, if the whole world be against him, is mightier than all of them.

Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.

My prison shall be my grave before I will budge a jot; for I owe my conscience to no mortal man.

I will never say something I don't agree with or believe in... even if the reward is massive!

I am ready to rot in jail for the rest of my life rather than admit that my small-minded enemies are right.

For me, I will defend what's right - not who I am speaking with at the time or who I think will back me.

Let no one charge me with ever having abused or encouraged weakness or surrendered on matters of principle. But I have said, as I say again, that every trifle must not be dignified into a principle.

If something is wrong, it matters not if a thousand men are for it; you must still oppose it. If something is just, no amount of popular outcry should stay you from your course.

Lord, give me the wisdom to know what's right and the courage to do what's right-even when it's hard.

Stand for right, even if you stand alone.

Always stand on principle even if you stand alone.

I stand for truth. Truth will never ally itself with falsehood. Even if all the world should be against me, Truth must prevail in the end.

Sir, what does it matter whom I serve, so long as I am right?

Refuse to compromise what you know to be right for anyone or anything.

Courage doesn't always involve physical heroism in the face of death. It doesn't always require giant leaps worthy of celebration. Sometimes, courage is the willingness to speak the truth about what you see and to own what you say.

Stand up for what is right even if you stand alone.

Standing for truth is everything. Truth is power. Don't ever forget that.

Having bought truth dear, we must not sell it cheap, not the least grain of it for the whole world.

When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree by the river of truth, and tell the whole world - No, you move.