Happy Birthday, Alexis de Tocqueville!
Born in Paris, France on this day in 1805, de Tocqueville was a French historian,
statesman, and philosopher known for his two-volume treatise, "Democracy in America."
The small excerpt below is shared in his honor...
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and in her ample rivers, and it was not there.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her public school system and her institutions of learning, and it was not there.
I sought for the genius and greatness of America in her democratic congress and her matchless constitution, and it was not there.
Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.
America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.
~ Alexis de Tocqueville
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