"We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power... the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave"
About this Quote
Henry is doing something sly here: laundering a call to arms through the language of humility. By insisting “we are not weak” if we use the tools “the God of Nature has placed in our power,” he reframes rebellion as obedience. The colonists aren’t defying authority; they’re fulfilling a kind of natural, even sacred, obligation. That “God of Nature” phrase is a strategic bridge between Enlightenment rationalism (natural rights, natural law) and a religious public that might flinch at open insurrection. He’s telling churchgoing Virginians: this isn’t reckless politics, it’s morally authorized self-defense.
The second move is equally calculated. “The battle… is not to the strong alone” punctures the fatalistic argument that Britain’s military superiority makes resistance futile. Henry replaces raw strength with a democratic trio of virtues: vigilance, activity, bravery. It’s a redefinition of power that flatters his audience while cornering them. If victory depends on character, then hesitation isn’t prudence; it’s a failure of will. “Vigilant” also carries a warning: liberty dies less from defeat than from sleepwalking into submission.
The context matters: 1775 Virginia, on the brink of open war, with many still hoping for reconciliation. Henry’s intent is to collapse that middle ground. He doesn’t just argue that fighting is possible; he argues that not fighting is unnatural, irreligious, and cowardly. It’s pressure disguised as principle, and that’s why it lands.
The second move is equally calculated. “The battle… is not to the strong alone” punctures the fatalistic argument that Britain’s military superiority makes resistance futile. Henry replaces raw strength with a democratic trio of virtues: vigilance, activity, bravery. It’s a redefinition of power that flatters his audience while cornering them. If victory depends on character, then hesitation isn’t prudence; it’s a failure of will. “Vigilant” also carries a warning: liberty dies less from defeat than from sleepwalking into submission.
The context matters: 1775 Virginia, on the brink of open war, with many still hoping for reconciliation. Henry’s intent is to collapse that middle ground. He doesn’t just argue that fighting is possible; he argues that not fighting is unnatural, irreligious, and cowardly. It’s pressure disguised as principle, and that’s why it lands.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
|---|---|
| Source | Patrick Henry, "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention" (St. John's Church, Richmond, March 23, 1775) — contains the passage beginning "We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means... The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." |
More Quotes by Patrick
Add to List
