A constitution should be short and obscure.

 

A constitution should be short and obscure.
--
Quoted in The Life of Napoleon I by John Holland Rose as an exchange between Roederer and Talleyrand
--
Roederer tells us ("?uvres," vol. iii., p. 428) that he had drawn up two plans of a constitution for the Cisalpine; the one very short and leaving much to the President, the other precise and detailed. He told Talleyrand to advise Bonaparte to adopt the former as it was "short and" — he was about to add "clear" when the diplomatist cut him short with the words, "Yes: short and obscure!"

 

Napoleon Bonaparte

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