No policy that does not rest upon some philosophical public opinion can be permanently maintained

No policy that does not rest upon some philosophical public opinion can be permanently maintained.

Public opinion in this country is everything.

Public opinion, though often formed upon a wrong basis, yet generally has a strong underlying sense of justice

In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions.

The findings suggest that American public opinion is starkly divided when it comes to the role of religion in the public square, and that our nation's proud tradition of church-state separation is threatened as never before.