On the record
The once mighty state which was nearest to us locally, nearest to us in every way, and whose ruins threaten to fall upon our heads, is a strong instance of this error.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “The once mighty state which was nearest to us locally, nearest to us in every way, and whose ruins threaten to fall upon…”
Editor's note · Context
Burke reflects on the dangers posed by the ruins of a once-powerful state, warning of its potential impact.
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More from Edmund Burke
Jan 1, 1790
Who could doubt but that, at any expense to the state, of which they understood nothing, they must pursue their private interests, which they understood but too well?
Jan 1, 1790
The people of England will not ape the fashions they have never tried, nor go back to those which they have found mischievous on trial.
Jan 1, 1790
The House of Lords, for instance, is not morally competent to dissolve the House of Commons,--no, nor even to dissolve itself, nor to abdicate, if it would, its portion in the legislature of the kingdom.
Jan 1, 1790
A state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.
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