Voltairine de Cleyre, (1866-1912) American anarchist feminist writer, public speaker Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page [1-3] of 3 Voltairine de Cleyre quotesVoltairine de Cleyre QuotesVoltairine de Cleyre The revolution is ... the blow dealt ... against the counter force of tyranny, which has never entirely recovered from the blow, but which from then till now has gone on remolding and regrappling the instruments of governmental power, that the Revolution sought to shape and hold as defenses of liberty.~ Voltairine de Cleyre ...So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.~ Voltairine de Cleyre Make no laws whatever concerning speech, and speech will be free; so soon as you make a declaration on paper that speech shall be free, you will have a hundred lawyers proving that “freedom does not mean abuse, nor liberty license,” and they will define freedom out of existence.~ Voltairine de Cleyre Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print