Only passions great passions can elevate the soul to great things.

There never was any heart truly great and generous that was not also tender and compassionate.

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.

In government offices which are sensitive to the vehemence and passion of mass sentiment public men have no sure tenure. They are in effect perpetual office seekers always on trial for their political lives always required to court their restless constituents.

I'm not a knee-jerk conservative. I passionately believe in free markets and less government but not to the point of being a libertarian.

Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.

This battle for 'common-sense' gun control laws pits emotion and passion against logic and reason. All too often in such a contest logic loses. So expect more meaningless if not harmful 'gun control' legislation. Good news - if you're a crook.

It is a fact often observed that men have written good verses under the inspiration of passion who cannot write well under other circumstances.

Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.