That humanity and sincerity ...

That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those who are opposed to them. The friends of liberty trust to the professions of others because they are themselves sincere, and endeavour to secure the public good with the least possible hurt to its enemies, who have no regard to anything but their own unprincipled ends, and stick at nothing to accomplish them.
That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those who are opposed to them. The friends of liberty trust to the professions of others because they are themselves sincere, and endeavour to secure the public good with the least possible hurt to its enemies, who have no regard to anything but their own unprincipled ends, and stick at nothing to accomplish them.

Quotes from the same author

Just as much as we see in others, we have in ourselves.
A proud man is satisfied with his own good opinion, and does not seek to make converts to it.
The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.
Men are in numberless instances qualified for certain things, for no other reason than because they are qualified for nothing else.
As is our confidence, so is our capacity.