Democracies are indeed slow to make war, but once embarked upon a martial venture are equally slow to make peace and reluctant to make a tolerable, rather than a vindictive, peace.
Source: In Webster's Electronic Quotebase, ed. Keith Mohler, 1994.
-- Reinhold Niebuhr, (Jun 21 1892-1971), US theologian, author; He pioneered the philosophy of Christian realism; wrote Nature and Destiny of Man, 1943; received Medal of Freedom, 1964.