On the record
Suppose Lord Cornwallis to have done wrong; suppose him to have acted illegally; does that clear the prisoner at your bar?
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “Suppose Lord Cornwallis to have done wrong; suppose him to have acted illegally; does that clear the prisoner at your…”
Editor's note · Context
Burke questions whether the wrongdoing of a previous leader absolves the current defendant of guilt, stressing the principle of individual responsibility.
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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
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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Let us imitate their caution, if we wish to deserve their fortune or to retain their bequests.
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They will become flatterers instead of legislators,--the instruments, not the guides of the people.
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