Here, again, as I conceive, gentlemen forget that this government

When Caleb Cushing declared, “Here, again, as I conceive, gentlemen forget that this government is a republican one, resting exclusively in the intelligence and virtue of the People,” his words rang like the tolling of an ancient bell—a warning, a remembrance, and a call to vigilance. He spoke not as a mere politician, but as a guardian of a sacred truth: that the strength of a republic does not lie in its laws, its armies, or its riches, but in the wisdom and moral character of its citizens. His voice rises from the 19th century, yet it speaks eternally to every generation that would call itself free.

Cushing’s words emerged in a time of political turmoil and division, when the meaning of self-government was being tested and stretched. He saw how easily men of power could forget that government is not the master of the people, but their servant; that authority, if divorced from virtue, rots into tyranny; and that no constitution, however noble, can preserve liberty if the hearts of the people grow corrupt or ignorant. His statement is not a defense of institutions alone—it is a defense of the human spirit, the moral intelligence that gives birth to justice itself.

The ancients understood this truth well. The Greek philosophers taught that a democracy could endure only as long as its citizens were educated and virtuous. Aristotle warned that when the people lose discipline and wisdom, freedom itself becomes the seed of chaos. The Roman Republic, too, was built upon the idea that citizenship was a sacred duty, not merely a privilege. Yet when Rome’s citizens traded civic virtue for comfort and spectacle, when they ceased to think and to care, the republic fell—not by invasion, but by decay from within. So it has been, and so it shall always be: the People are the heart of the republic, and when that heart falters, no constitution can revive it.

Think of George Washington, who, at the height of his power, chose to relinquish it. He could have become a monarch in all but name, yet he bowed before the ideal that the people themselves are sovereign. His humility was an act of supreme strength. He understood, as Cushing did, that the virtue of leadership begins with submission to the will and welfare of the governed. Such acts of integrity are the stones upon which a lasting republic is built.

Cushing’s warning remains as urgent now as it was in his age: that every citizen bears the burden of maintaining the republic’s intelligence and virtue. It is not enough to vote; one must also think, discern, and hold fast to moral principles. When the people cease to inquire, when they surrender their judgment to demagogues, when ignorance becomes easier than truth—then the republic, though standing in form, dies in soul. For liberty is not a gift given once, but a flame that must be tended daily by the light of understanding and the warmth of conscience.

Let the wise, therefore, take this lesson deeply into their hearts: freedom demands education, not of the mind alone, but of the spirit. The republic cannot endure upon cleverness alone—it must be nourished by virtue, by courage, by the willingness to sacrifice self-interest for the good of all. Every person who studies, who questions, who acts with integrity, strengthens the pillars of their nation. Every person who succumbs to apathy or deceit weakens them.

So, to those who would inherit the blessings of liberty, take heed of Cushing’s wisdom. Remember that you are the foundation of your government. If you would see justice endure, cultivate knowledge. If you would see peace endure, cultivate virtue. The fate of the republic is not sealed by the rulers above, but by the citizens below—by your thoughts, your choices, your honor. As long as the people remain intelligent and virtuous, the flame of freedom will never die.

Thus let these words be carved into the memory of every generation: A republic does not live by law alone—it breathes through the character of its people. Guard that breath as you would guard your own life, for it is the life of your nation.