Wiktionary
n. (plural of dissentient English)
Usage examples of "dissentients".
It is accordingly on this battle-field, almost solely, that the rights of the individual against society have been asserted on broad grounds of principle, and the claim of society to exercise authority over dissentients openly controverted.
And thus is kept up a state of things very satisfactory to some minds, because, without the unpleasant process of fining or imprisoning anybody, it maintains all prevailing opinions outwardly undisturbed, while it does not absolutely interdict the exercise of reason by dissentients afflicted with the malady of thought.
Instead of being, as at first, constantly on the alert either to defend themselves against the world, or to bring the world over to them, they have subsided into acquiescence, and neither listen, when they can help it, to arguments against their creed, nor trouble dissentients (if there be such) with arguments in its favor.
When there are persons to be found, who form an exception to the apparent unanimity of the world on any subject, even if the world is in the right, it is always probable that dissentients have something worth hearing to say for themselves, and that truth would lose something by their silence.
But when the dissentients have conceded to the hostile sentiments of others, far more than could justly be demanded.
In each of these cases the minority of dissentients was so small that the nation suffered nothing, though individuals were all but robbed of their nationality.
If they had been read in the other States, as they were here, I think they would have left, there as here, no dissentients from their doctrine.