On the recordJanuary 1, 1776
The safety of all societies depends upon it; and where this point is not attended to, the consequences will either be a general languor or a tumult.
Said by
Thomas Paine
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gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “The safety of all societies depends upon it; and where this point is not attended to, the consequences will either be a…”
Editor's note · Context
Paine warns that the failure to adapt a society's internal administration to changing times leads to either stagnation or unrest.
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Discussion and the general will arbitrates the question, and to this, private opinion yields with a good grace, and order is preserved uninterrupted.