---
title: "At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its trium… — John Acton Quote #13 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities, that have prevailed by associating themselves w… — a quote by John Acton."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities, that have prevailed by associating themselves with auxiliaries whose objects often differed from their own; and this association, which is always dangerous, has been sometimes disastrous, by giving to opponents just grounds of opposition, and by kindling dispute over the spoils in the hour of success. No obstacle has been so constant, or so difficult to overcome, as uncertainty and confusion touching the nature of true liberty. If hostile interests have wrought much injury, false ideas have wrought still more; and its advance is recorded in the increase of knowledge, as much as in the improvement of laws.

[John Acton](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton)\#13[WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CAt%20all%20times%20sincere%20friends%20of%20freedom%20have%20been%20rare%2C%20and%20its%20triumphs%20have%20been%20due%20to%20minorities%2C%20that%20have%20prevailed%20by%20associating%20themselves%20with%20auxiliaries%20whose%20objects%20often%20differed%20from%20their%20own%3B%20and%20this%20association%2C%20which%20is%20always%20dangerous%2C%20has%20been%20sometimes%20disastrous%2C%20by%20giving%20to%20opponents%20just%20grounds%20of%20opposition%2C%20and%20by%20kindling%20dispute%20over%20the%20spoils%20in%20the%20hour%20of%20success.%20No%20obstacle%20has%20been%20so%20constant%2C%20or%20so%20difficult%20to%20overcome%2C%20as%20uncertainty%20and%20confusion%20touching%20the%20nature%20of%20true%20liberty.%20If%20hostile%20interests%20have%20wrought%20much%20injury%2C%20false%20ideas%20have%20wrought%20still%20more%3B%20and%20its%20advance%20is%20recorded%20in%20the%20increase%20of%20knowledge%2C%20as%20much%20as%20in%20the%20improvement%20of%20laws.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20John%20Acton%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJohn-Acton%2F13%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CAt%20all%20times%20sincere%20friends%20of%20freedom%20have%20been%20rare%2C%20and%20its%20triumphs%20have%20been%20due%20to%20minorities%2C%20that%20have%20prevailed%20by%20associating%20themselves%20with%20auxiliaries%20whose%20objects%20often%20differed%20from%20their%20own%3B%20and%20this%20association%2C%20which%20is%20always%20dangerous%2C%20has%20been%20sometimes%20disastrous%2C%20by%20giving%20to%20opponents%20just%20grounds%20of%20opposition%2C%20and%20by%20kindling%20dispute%20over%20the%20spoils%20in%20the%20hour%20of%20success.%20No%20obstacle%20has%20been%20so%20constant%2C%20or%20so%20difficult%20to%20overcome%2C%20as%20uncertainty%20and%20confusion%20touching%20the%20nature%20of%20true%20liberty.%20If%20hostile%20interests%20have%20wrought%20much%20injury%2C%20false%20ideas%20have%20wrought%20still%20more%3B%20and%20its%20advance%20is%20recorded%20in%20the%20increase%20of%20knowledge%2C%20as%20much%20as%20in%20the%20improvement%20of%20laws.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20John%20Acton&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJohn-Acton%2F13%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJohn-Acton%2F13%2F)

## More from John Acton

1. > Liberty, next to religion has been the motive of good deeds and the common pretext of crime...

[Permalink to quote \#12](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/12/ "Permalink to quote 12")
2. > By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom …

[Permalink to quote \#14](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/14/ "Permalink to quote 14")
3. > The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks.

[Permalink to quote \#11](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/11/ "Permalink to quote 11")

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