Question

if the source of popular government in time of peace is virtue, the source of popular government in rebellion is at once virtue and terror; virtue, without which terror is fatal; terror, without which virtue is powerless. terror is nothing else than justice, prompt, secure, and inflexible. it is therefore a display of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to the most urgent wants of the country. what is the main idea of this passage? a good government may need to use terror in a time of revolution. a good government will never use terror to accomplish its goals. the best governments use terror whenever they want to. the best governments like using terror the least.

Explanation:

The passage states that in times of rebellion, popular government needs both virtue and terror, with terror being a form of justice in urgent situations. It implies a good government may need to use terror during revolution.

Answer:

A. A good government may need to use terror in a time of revolution.