On the record
There is nothing to be in propriety called people, to watch, to inspect, to balance against the power of office.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “There is nothing to be in propriety called people, to watch, to inspect, to balance against the power of office.”
Editor's note · Context
Burke argues that there is no true populace to balance against the power of office, highlighting a lack of civic engagement.
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More from Edmund Burke
Jan 1, 1790
Our people will find employment enough for a truly patriotic, free, and independent spirit, in guarding what they possess from violation.
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
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
They come from one who has been no tool of power, no flatterer of greatness, and who in his last acts does not wish to belie the tenor of his life.
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