There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come. – Victor Hugo
Jesus wept Voltaire smiled. From that divine tear and from that human smile is derived the grace of present civilization. – Victor Hugo
There have been in this century only one great man and one great thing: Napoleon and liberty. For want of the great man, let us have the great thing. – Victor Hugo
What is history? An echo of the past in the future a reflex from the future on the past. – Victor Hugo
An idea must not be condemned for being a little shy and incoherent; all new ideas are shy when introduced first among our old ones. We should have patience and see whether the incoherency is likely to wear off or to wear on, in which latter case the sooner we get rid of them the better. – Samuel Butler