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We have the wolf by the ears; and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go… — Thomas Jefferson

Letter

We have the wolf by the ears; and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other.

Thomas Jefferson
1820
★ 3.8
Other tags relating to this quote
Topic
Slavery
Statement type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Medium
Letter
Time
1820
Person
Thomas Jefferson
Provenance
Current citation
Jefferson, Thomas. "John Holmes, April 22, 1820." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.
Original citation
Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to John Holmes. 22 Apr. 1820.

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