The British Prime Minister Who Tried to Prevent an ‘Impious War’ Against the American Colonies

The British Prime Minister Who Tried to Prevent an ‘Impious War’ Against the American Colonies
From the halls of Parliament, William Pitt the Elder boldly demanded peace and liberty for the American colonists. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Lawrence W. Reed
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The popular phrase “Speak truth to power” implies that power is hostile to truth and that power might benefit from listening to truth. It also suggests that the speaker runs some risk for speaking it.

People who are unafraid to speak truth to power are among the great heroes of history. They raise our standards and boost our courage. While tyrants fear them, the rest of us are inspired by them.

Lawrence W. Reed
Lawrence W. Reed
Author
Lawrence Reed is president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education in Atlanta and the author of “Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character, and Conviction“ and the best-seller “Was Jesus a Socialist?”
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