Explanation: I do not know the method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people.
Answer: The line occurs in Burke's "Speech on Conciliation with America", an unforgettable piece in the tradition of British parliamentary speeches. Here Burke is of the opinion that charges of offense cannot be brought against a whole notion. He ridicules the idea of prosecuting a whole nation as criminals.
The American colonists are in rebellion against the mother country England. America is in a chaotic situation because of the protests against taxation. Burke dismisses the idea of prosecuting Americans as criminals. He is of the opinion that criminal procedure is fit for trying offenses of individuals but is incapable where a whole nation is concerned. Charges can be framed against an individual for criminal offenses, but it is not comprehensible how the same charges can be brought against a whole nation. In other words, when it is found that a whole nation has been agitated over some question, then it is not proper to deal with such an agitation
political ordinary criminal case. Such a situation requires delicate handling and a careful inquiry into the reasons behind a nationwide political agitation. Burke concludes that if criminal prosecution is drawn against a whole nation, it would be just as bad as the behavior of Sir Edward Coke toward Sir Walter Raleigh.
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