Original artwork, not a still
On Conciliation with America · 1775
I have in general no very exalted opinion of the virtue of paper government.
Behind the line
What it means
Our 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
