On the recordJanuary 1, 1790
They know not by what law they judge, nor under what authority they act, nor by what tenure they hold.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “They know not by what law they judge, nor under what authority they act, nor by what tenure they hold.”
Editor's note · Context
Criticizing the new judicial system in revolutionary France, Burke highlights the profound uncertainty and lack of legitimate authority under which judges served.
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But when the leaders choose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the construction of the state, will be of no service.
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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.
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Our people will find employment enough for a truly patriotic, free, and independent spirit, in guarding what they possess from violation.
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