Books · 1775
I have in general no very exalted opinion of the virtue of paper government.
— Edmund Burke · On Conciliation with America
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker says they hold no high opinion of the virtue of paper government, meaning rules and constitutions that exist only in writing. The view is skeptical: laws written down, in this reading, cannot by themselves guarantee good rule or protect anyone. The phrasing is measured and understated.
Context reviewed