Abstract right, deserving as it is of the profound reverence of every ruler over men, is yet not the principle which must guide and govern his conduct; and whoever undertakes to make it exclusively his guide will soon find in the community a resistance that will overrule him and his principles.
Josiah Quincy: “Abstract right, deserving as it is of the profound reverence of every ruler over men, is yet not the principle which…”
Editor's note · Context
Quincy argues that abstract principles alone cannot guide a ruler's actions without considering the community's response.
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