On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
A government calling itself free, with an hereditary office, is like a thorn in the flesh, that produces a fermentation which endeavours to discharge it.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “A government calling itself free, with an hereditary office, is like a thorn in the flesh, that produces a fermentation…”
Editor's note · Context
In "Rights of Man," Paine uses a vivid metaphor to describe the inherent tension and instability created when a supposedly free government retains an hereditary office.
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