Descriptions of men of their own race, but better in rank, superior in property and decorum, of honorable, decent, and orderly habits, are absolutely necessary to bring them to such a frame as to qualify them so much as to come into contact with a civilized nation.
Edmund Burke: “Descriptions of men of their own race, but better in rank, superior in property and decorum, of honorable, decent, and…”
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Edmund Burke
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gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Burke believes that positive examples from within a society are essential for progress.
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