It is thus with all those who, attending only to the shell and husk of history, think they are waging war with intolerance, pride, and cruelty, whilst, under color of abhorring the ill principles of antiquated parties, they are authorizing and feeding the same odious vices in different factions, and perhaps in worse.
From his critique of the French Revolution, Burke warns against those who misinterpret history and inadvertently perpetuate the very vices they claim to oppose.
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