The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of

Hear the noble words of Adlai Stevenson I, spoken as though from the heart of liberty itself: “The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum.” In this saying, he reveals the foundation upon which freedom rests: not in armies, nor in treasures, nor even in laws, but in the ability of people to speak without chains, to exchange thoughts without fear, to challenge, to question, and to dream aloud. For when speech is silenced, freedom is already dead, though its body may still walk for a time.

The ancients too revered the open forum. In the agora of Athens, beneath the open sky, citizens gathered to speak, to argue, to shape the destiny of their city. There, ideas wrestled with ideas, and truth emerged not by decree but by dialogue. So too in the Roman Forum, where voices of senators and commoners mingled, the fate of the republic was debated. Stevenson’s wisdom is but the modern echo of this ancient truth: the flow of words is the lifeblood of liberty, and where it is dammed, tyranny begins to rise.

Consider the story of Martin Luther, who in 1517 nailed his theses to the church door at Wittenberg. His act was not merely theological—it was the unleashing of words into the public square. Those words traveled on the wings of the printing press, igniting debate, shattering silence, and forever altering the course of Europe. Had his voice been trampled before it could be heard, the Reformation may have died unborn. Here we see Stevenson’s truth in action: the untrammeled flow of words can topple old orders and give birth to new worlds.

But history also warns us of silence. Under the Inquisition, dissenting voices were gagged, and fear smothered honest inquiry. In the Soviet Union, words were watched, censored, and punished, until truth itself was chained. In such societies, the body of the state may appear strong, but the soul is withered. For a people denied free speech become prisoners of their rulers, unable to question lies, unable to resist injustice, unable to shape their own destiny. Stevenson calls us to remember: a society without open words is not free—it is enslaved.

Yet, let us not mistake freedom of speech as a license for chaos or cruelty. Words are not toys but weapons and seeds: they can wound, but they can also heal; they can destroy, but they can also build. The open forum is not a place for silence, but for responsibility—for the courage to speak truth, and the humility to listen to others. When words flow freely, guided by reason and tempered by conscience, society itself becomes stronger, wiser, and more just.

The lesson for us is clear: if we would preserve liberty, we must guard the free exchange of words as a sacred trust. Do not be quick to silence those you disagree with, for in silencing them, you weaken your own freedom. Engage, challenge, debate, and listen. Build spaces in your homes, your communities, your nations where words can flow without fear. For freedom is not kept alive by silence, but by voices rising together in dialogue.

Therefore, O listener, take Stevenson’s wisdom into your heart: “The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum.” Let your voice be honest, let your ear be open, and let your courage be firm. For so long as men and women can speak freely, tyranny will tremble, and liberty will endure.

And so, let this truth be passed from generation to generation: freedom is not merely the absence of chains upon the body, but the absence of chains upon the tongue and mind. Guard this principle, live it, and defend it, for upon it rests the very soul of a free society.