On the record
The man who is a tyrant would, under some other circumstances, be a rebel; and he that is a rebel would become a tyrant.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “The man who is a tyrant would, under some other circumstances, be a rebel; and he that is a rebel would become a tyrant.”
Editor's note · Context
Burke reflects on the duality of power and rebellion, suggesting that the nature of authority can lead individuals to embody both roles.
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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.
Jan 1, 1790
Whatever they are, I wish my countrymen rather to recommend to our neighbors the example of the British Constitution than to take models from them for the improvement of our own.
Jan 1, 1790
Our people will find employment enough for a truly patriotic, free, and independent spirit, in guarding what they possess from violation.
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I would not exclude alteration neither; but even when I changed, it should be to preserve.
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