The theory of politics that emerges from the political literature of the pre-Revolutionary years rests on the belief … - Bernard Bailyn

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In dealing with good people one should be magnanimous; in dealing with bad people one should be strict. In dealing with average people one should combine magnanimity and strictness.

Bernard Bailyn

The theory of politics that emerges from the political literature of the pre-Revolutionary years rests on the belief that what lay behind every political scene, the ultimate explanation of every political controversy, was the disposition of power.

Controversy, Lay, Literature, Political, Politics, Years

Same Author Quotes

What gave transcendent importance to the aggressiveness of power was the fact that its natural prey, its necessary victim, was liberty, or law, or right.

Aggressiveness, Fact, Facts, Law, Liberty

The primary function of a constitution was to mark out the boundaries of governmental powers-hence in England, where there was no constitution , there were no limits (save for the effect of trail by jury) to what the legislature might do.

England, Governmental, Jury, Limits, Might

Up and down the the still sparsely settled coast of British North America, groups of men-intellectuals and farmers, scholars and merchants, the learned and the ignorant-gathered for the purpose of constructing enlightened governments.

America, British, Coast, Farmers, Ignorant, Men

At first the relevance of chattel slavery to libertarian ideals was noted only in individual passages of isolated pamphlets.

Firsts, Individual, Libertarian, Pamphlets, Relevance, Slavery

In effect the people were present through their representatives, and were themselves, step by step and point by point, acting in the conduct of public affairs. No longer merely an ultimate check on government, they were in some sense the government.

Acting, Check, Conduct, Government, People, Sense