We should keep silent about those in power; to speak well of them almost implies flattery; to speak ill of them while they are alive is dangerous, and when they are dead is cowardly.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living.
I readily concede that a prime minister is not required to speak on every occasion or on every subject, but when there is a duty to speak, silence is unacceptable. Silence can be a strategy, silence can be a tactic, but silence can never be an answer to the ills of our polity and the fault lines of our society.
I try to be as honest about what I see and to speak rather than be silent, especially if it means I can save lives, or serve humanity.
It required a strong heart to stand up against such talk, but I urged my people to be quiet and not to begin a war.
I know you aren't supposed to speak ill of the dead.
I'm of the opinion that it's okay to be silent, to not speak if you don't have anything to say.
When the men are silent, it is our duty to raise our voices in behalf of our ideals.
Since we have to speak well of the dead, let's knock them while they're alive.
A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.
To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves. Nothing is often a good thing to say, and always a clever thing to say.