Mirabeau said that words were things; and this word was so used in the proceedings of Secession conventions as to impress the mind of the Southern people with its portentous weight and solemnity.
James Blaine: “Mirabeau said that words were things; and this word was so used in the proceedings of Secession conventions as to…”
Editor's note · Context
Blaine references Mirabeau to illustrate how the term 'ordinance' was used to convey a sense of gravity during the Secession conventions.
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Without the exercise of those functions which belong exclusively to the civil service, the laws cannot be executed in any event, no matter what may be the physical strength which the Government has at its command.
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