Seven Days in May (1964)

Burt Lancaster: Gen. James Mattoon Scott

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Quotes 

• General James Mattoon Scott : And if you want to talk about your oath of office, I'm here to tell you face to face, President Lyman, that you violated that oath when you stripped this country of its muscles - when you deliberately played upon the fear and fatigue of the people and told them they could remove that fear by the stroke of a pen. And then when this nation rejected you, lost faith in you, and began militantly to oppose you, you violated that oath by not resigning from office and turning the country over to someone who could represent the people of the United States.

  President Jordan Lyman : And that would be General James Mattoon Scott, would it? I don't know whether to laugh at that kind of megalomania, or simply cry.

  General James Mattoon Scott : James Mattoon Scott, as you put it, hasn't the slightest interest in his own glorification. But he does have an abiding interest in the survival of this country.

  President Jordan Lyman : Then, by God, run for office. You have such a fervent, passionate, evangelical faith in this country - why in the name of God don't you have any faith in the system of government you're so hell-bent to protect?

• General James Mattoon Scott : I think the signing of a nuclear disarmament pact with the Soviet Union is at best an act of naiveté and at worst an unsupportable negligence. We've stayed alive because we've built up an arsenal, and we've kept the peace because we've dealt with an enemy who knew we would use that arsenal. And now we're asked to believe that a piece of paper will take the place of missile sites and Polaris submarines, and that an enemy who hasn't honored one solemn treaty in the history of its existence will now, for our convenience, do precisely that. I have strong doubts, gentlemen.

• General James Mattoon Scott : There hasn't been a single piece of paper written in the history of mankind that could serve as a deterrent to a Pearl Harbor. I sometimes wonder why we haven't learned that lesson by now. Every 20 years or so we have to pick ourselves up off the floor bleeding and pay for that mistake. Those mistakes are delivered to us C.O.D. by peace loving men. And bought and paid for with the lives of other men. Men in uniform.

• General James Mattoon Scott : This country's in trouble, Jiggs, deep trouble. Now, there are two ways we can handle this. Sit here on our duffs and ask for divine guidance and hope for it. Or we can - Or we can what, Jiggs? What would your advice be?

  Colonel Martin "Jiggs" Casey : Well sir, we're a nation of laws, of rules. We're military men so we've taken an oath to uphold the Constitution.

  General James Mattoon Scott : The democratic way.

  Colonel Martin "Jiggs" Casey : Yes, sir. The democratic way.

• General James Mattoon Scott : Perhaps patriotism is old-fashioned. Perhaps love of country is outdated. Perhaps even a minute degree of sentiment to one's motherland is considered passé. But God help us, and God help our country, if the cynics, the one-worlders, the intellectual dilettantes, ever persuade us that these things have passed us by. Because, ladies and gentlemen, patriotism, loyalty, sentiment, they are the United States of America!

• General James Mattoon Scott : An educated guess is that within a week there'll be a move for impeachment. That's it, gentlemen. You're welcome to stay here and watch on television.