On the recordJanuary 1, 1790
Virtue and wisdom may be the objects of their choice; but their choice confers neither the one nor the other on those upon whom they lay their ordaining hands.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Burke contends that while people may choose leaders, their selection does not inherently impart virtue or wisdom to those chosen.
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Jan 1, 1790
This is the spirit of our Constitution, not only in its settled course, but in all its revolutions.
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Their trust for the future preservation of the Constitution was not in future revolutions.
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The engagement and pact of society, which generally goes by the name of the Constitution, forbids such invasion and such surrender.
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By adhering in this manner and on those principles to our forefathers, we are guided, not by the superstition of antiquarians, but by the spirit of philosophic analogy.
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