The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.

Acton’s remark expresses a core liberal suspicion of concentrated power. Rather than blaming political failure on the supposed incompetence or moral defects of one social group (aristocracy, bourgeoisie, workers, clergy), he argues that the problem is structural: any “class,” once in control, is tempted to govern in its own interest and to rationalize coercion. The line aligns with Acton’s broader historical outlook—shaped by his study of church and state, revolutions, and empires—that liberty depends less on finding virtuous rulers than on limiting rulers through constitutional restraints, divided powers, and accountability. It is a warning against class rule and against the idea that replacing one elite with another solves tyranny.