Quote by William Penn
Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them, and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad; if it be ill, they will cure it. But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavour to warp and spoil it to their turn.
Summary
This quote emphasizes the influential role that individuals play in the fate of governments. It suggests that governments are ultimately shaped and destroyed by the actions of people. It asserts that governments rely on the goodness or badness of individuals to maintain their integrity. If individuals are virtuous, the government will naturally be virtuous as well, and any flaws can be corrected. However, if individuals possess malicious intentions, they will inevitably corrupt even the most well-designed government systems to serve their own interests. Thus, the quote stresses the importance of individuals in determining the success or failure of governments.
By William Penn
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