The law of treason neither could nor ought to be enforced against an act which was an error of judgment, not of intention--which was in good faith intended not to impair the well-being of the State, but to promote and augment it.
Bagehot discusses the legal limitations on prosecuting acts of treason that stem from honest mistakes rather than malicious intent.
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The whole history of civilisation, is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.
The power of free interchange of ideas being wanting, the ideas themselves were barren.
Nothing promotes intellect like intellectual discussion, and nothing promotes intellectual discussion so much as government by discussion.
Those who doubt should go out into their kitchens.
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