James Fenimore CooperJames Fenimore Cooper, (1789-1851) American Novelist

James Fenimore Cooper Quote

“It is a governing principle of nature, that the agency which can produce most good, when perverted from its proper aim, is most productive of evil. It behooves the well-intentioned, therefore, vigorously to watch the tendency of even their most highly-prized institutions, since that which was established in the interests of the right, may so easily become the agent of the wrong.”

James Fenimore CooperJames Fenimore Cooper
~ James Fenimore Cooper


Ratings and Comments


J Carlton, Calgary

We need to watch everything the Kenyan is doing with his "Cloward and Piven" plans to socialize America...right into the toilet.

jim k, Austin,Tx

Labor unions are a good example of this quote.

RBESRQ
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RBESRQ    9/28/10

How about Government, period?

E Archer, NYC

Indeed! That is why power should remain distributed not centralized into a single target for the power-seekers to grab. With great power comes great responsibility. We ought to remember that we have not as a nation given up our powers and our rights to a cartel or committee.

Ron, Salem
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Ron, Salem    10/2/10

Within fifty years of the birth of our nation greed took hold threw the abundance of food and timber. And the selling off of our nation and the treasures of our children began threw corperate greed and the challenges by them presented to the court. becoming agents of the wrong.

jim k, Austin

RBESRQ , well said.

Mike, Norwalk

By way of example: That agency, the limited body politic of servants, representing individual sovereign rights has become an agent of wrong (carnal gods in an occupying statist theocracy vigorously lording over slaves in establishing well-intentioned despotism and tyranny)

Mary - MI
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Mary - MI    9/20/16

"...institutions, since that which was established in the interests of the right, may so easily become the agent of the wrong."
Let's start with a list that have ultimately become unlawful and UN-Constitution U.S. federal agencies/bureaucracies of the agents of the wrong: EPA, FDA, Departments of Education, Labor and Energy, HUD, NSA, CIA, FBI, Bureau of Land Management, Homeland Security and last but surely not the least TSA.

Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

It therefore "behooves" the most highly esteemed individual to keep close examination of their own behavior. 

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