On the recordJanuary 1, 1790
To execute laws is a royal office; to execute orders is not to be a king.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “To execute laws is a royal office; to execute orders is not to be a king.”
Editor's note · Context
In his critique of the French Revolution, Burke distinguishes between the traditional royal function of executing laws and the subservient role of executing orders.
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Let us imitate their caution, if we wish to deserve their fortune or to retain their bequests.
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They come from one who has been no tool of power, no flatterer of greatness, and who in his last acts does not wish to belie the tenor of his life.
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