… is from page xix of George H. Smith’s Introduction to the 1997 edition of Franz Oppenheimer’s classic and crucial 1908 tract, The State:
According to Hume, some people will always resist a new government, and these people must be forcibly suppressed. Over time, however, the government will assume an aura of legitimacy, and most people will obey as a matter of habit. It is therefore correct to say that people acquiesce to a government, but this should not be confused with consent. Consent is possible only where there is choice, and no government can permit obedience to become a matter of choice.
