A man who is combating one ministry after another, and striving to imbue those ministers with his convictions, can hardly decline to become a minister himself when he finds that those convictions of his own are henceforth,--or at least for some time to come,--to be the ministerial convictions of the day.

Do you follow me ?" "Very clearly," said Phineas.

"You would have denied your own children had you refused." "Unless indeed a man were to feel that he was in some way unfitted for office work.

I very nearly provided for myself an escape on that plea;--but when I came to sift it, I thought that it would be false.
But let me tell you that the delight of political life is altogether in opposition.

Why, it is freedom against slavery, fire against clay, movement against stagnation! The very inaccuracy which is permitted to opposition is in itself a charm worth more than all the patronage and all the prestige of ministerial power.