On the recordJanuary 1, 1790
The vice of the ancient democracies, and one cause of their ruin, was, that they ruled, as you do, by occasional decrees, psephismata.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “The vice of the ancient democracies, and one cause of their ruin, was, that they ruled, as you do, by occasional…”
Editor's note · Context
From his critique of the French Revolution, Burke identifies a flaw in ancient democracies that he sees replicated in the new French government.
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More from Edmund Burke
Jan 1, 1790
If any of them should happen to propose a scheme of liberty soberly limited, and defined with proper qualifications, he will be immediately outbid by his competitors, who will produce something more splendidly popular.
Jan 1, 1790
Let us imitate their caution, if we wish to deserve their fortune or to retain their bequests.
Jan 1, 1790
They will become flatterers instead of legislators,--the instruments, not the guides of the people.
Jan 1, 1790
Whatever they are, I wish my countrymen rather to recommend to our neighbors the example of the British Constitution than to take models from them for the improvement of our own.
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