Political Quotes

Thomas Paine: We had no other law than a kind of moderated passion; no other civil power than an honest mob; and no other protection…

On the recordJanuary 1, 1776
We had no other law than a kind of moderated passion; no other civil power than an honest mob; and no other protection than the temporary attachment of one man to another.
Said by
Thomas Paine

Editor's note · Context

Paine describes the precarious state of civil order in the colonies before independence, highlighting the lack of established law and power.

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