During the French Revolution, when the Reign of Terror came to an end, it was found that no one was left alive among the politicians except prudent cowards who had changed their opinions quickly enough to keep their heads on their shoulders. The result was twenty years of military glory, because there was no one left among the politicians with sufficient courage to keep the generals in order.
Source:The advantages of cowardice (written in Nov. 2, 1931 and pub. in Mortals and Others, v.1, 1975
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