On the record
Faults this nation may have; but God forbid we should pass judgment upon people who framed their laws and institutions prior to our insect origin of yesterday!
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “Faults this nation may have; but God forbid we should pass judgment upon people who framed their laws and institutions…”
Editor's note · Context
Burke cautions against judging nations based on recent historical contexts, advocating for understanding their long-standing institutions.
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Jan 1, 1790
They will become flatterers instead of legislators,--the instruments, not the guides of the people.
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I would not exclude alteration neither; but even when I changed, it should be to preserve.
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The improvements of the National Assembly are superficial, their errors fundamental.
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