John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, of Peterborough, writes,

       I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong.  If there is any presumption it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases.  Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility.  Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd [sic] the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.  There is No worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. (Emphasis added)

       NOTE: Acton is commonly interpreted as meaning that no matter how pure the intentions of those who seek political power in order to do some good, the trappings of that power tends to blind those who hold power to the welfare of those they wish to help.

       [added 5/14/2022]