"Those words, "temperate and moderate", are words either of political cowardice, or of cunning, or seduction. A thing, moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper, is always a virtue; but moderation in principle, is a species of vice."
— Moderation

January 1, 1970

Quote Details

Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Added on April 10, 2026
Unverified quote
0 likes
ThemesVirtues
Original Language: English

Sources

Thomas Paine, letter to the addressers on the late proclamation against seditious writings; in Moncure D. Conway, ed., The Writings of Thomas Paine (1895), vol. 3, p. 94–95.