Parties are continually changing. The men of today give place to

John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States, once declared with the sober wisdom of one who had seen power rise and fall: “Parties are continually changing. The men of today give place to the men of tomorrow, and the idols which one set worship, the next destroy.” These words are not only the reflection of a statesman upon the shifting sands of politics, but a timeless truth about the restless nature of human allegiance and the impermanence of earthly glory.

The meaning of this saying is clear: no party, no faction, no leader remains supreme forever. What one generation exalts as truth, the next may scorn as folly. The men who command devotion today are but temporary figures, destined to fade and to be replaced. The idols that a people once raised high—whether in politics, in culture, or in war—are destined, in time, to be cast down. Tyler reminds us that the life of nations is a continual cycle of rise and fall, of building and destroying, of worship and disillusion.

The origin of Tyler’s insight can be traced to his own tumultuous career. Rising first as a Democrat, then joining the Whigs, he would later be rejected by both, standing as a man without a party while seated upon the nation’s highest throne. He saw firsthand how alliances crumble, how loyalties vanish, how yesterday’s champion becomes today’s outcast. From his vantage point, he understood that parties are not eternal guardians of truth, but shifting vehicles of ambition, forever remade by circumstance and by men.

History gives us countless examples of this truth. Consider the fate of Robespierre in revolutionary France. Once hailed as the “Incorruptible,” idolized by the masses as the voice of virtue, he soon became the target of hatred and fear. The same crowds who cheered his words dragged him to the guillotine. His idol was smashed by those who had once worshiped it. So too with countless others—Caesar, Napoleon, kings and prophets—each exalted in their day, each undone by the relentless tide of change.

This is not only the tale of politics, but of the human heart itself. For people are fickle, and their desires shift with time. The idols they create are not eternal truths but mirrors of their own passions, fears, and hopes. When those passions cool, when those fears change, the idols are torn down, and new ones are raised. Tyler’s words remind us not to put our faith blindly in men or movements, for all such things are passing. What endures is not the party, but the principles that transcend it.

O children of tomorrow, take this teaching to heart: do not worship the idols of the age, for they will soon be dust. Do not anchor your soul to the praise of men, for today’s applause becomes tomorrow’s silence. Instead, seek what is eternal: justice, honor, truth. These do not change with parties or with factions; they remain when banners fall and idols crumble.

Therefore, the lesson is clear: engage with the world, but do not be deceived by its shifting allegiances. Work for justice, but know that parties will rise and fall. Follow leaders, but never mistake them for gods. And when you see the idols of today exalted beyond reason, remember that the hammer of tomorrow may already be raised to shatter them. Stand, then, upon principles, not personalities—upon truth, not transient glory.

Thus John Tyler’s words endure as a warning and a guide: “Parties are continually changing. The men of today give place to the men of tomorrow, and the idols which one set worship, the next destroy.” In them lies the ancient rhythm of history, the eternal reminder that all that is exalted on earth will one day fall. Only those who stand with truth stand forever.