On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
Nay, even the laws of governments are obliged to slide into this principle, by making degrees to consist in crimes and not in persons.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “Nay, even the laws of governments are obliged to slide into this principle, by making degrees to consist in crimes and…”
Editor's note · Context
From "Rights of Man," Paine notes that even government laws, by punishing crimes rather than persons, implicitly recognize the principle of human equality.
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