On the record
Confine a man to momentary possession, and you at once cut off that laudable avarice which every wise state has cherished as one of the first principles of its greatness.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “Confine a man to momentary possession, and you at once cut off that laudable avarice which every wise state has…”
Editor's note · Context
Burke argues that limiting property ownership undermines a state's greatness.
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Jan 1, 1790
Not being illuminated with the light of which the gentlemen of France tell us they have got so abundant a share, they acted under a strong impression of the ignorance and fallibility of mankind.
Jan 1, 1790
The improvements of the National Assembly are superficial, their errors fundamental.
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.
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They will become flatterers instead of legislators,--the instruments, not the guides of the people.
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