"Much has been given us, and much will rightfully be expected from us. We have duties to others and duties to ourselves; and we can shirk neither. We have become a great nation, forced by the fact of its greatness into relations with the other nations of the earth, and we must behave as beseems a people with such responsibilities. Toward all other nations, large and small, our attitude must be one of cordial and sincere friendship. We must show not only in our words, but in our deeds, that we are earnestly desirous of securing their good will by acting toward them in a spirit of just and generous recognition of all their rights. But justice and generosity in a nation, as in an individual, count most when shown not by the weak but by the strong."
React to this quote
More by Theodore Roosevelt
See allResonant Thoughts
"No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but back…"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"The concrete is a combination of abstractions — not an arbitrary or subjective combination but one that cor…"
— Leon Trotsky"Rape was an insurrectionary act. It delighted me that I was defying and trampling upon the white man's law,…"
— Eldridge Cleaver"I wish someone would just start Fly At Your Own Risk Airlines. How 'bout that? You can have your hair gel, …"
— Bill Maher"Clarke's Fourth Law: For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert."
— Arthur C. Clarke"In the main, the theme is emerging of the growth of freedom and law, of the rights of the individual, of th…"
— Winston Churchill"I unlatched the shutters. The light was as intense as a love affair. I was blinded, delighted, not just bec…"
— Jeanette Winterson