Thomas Jefferson: Declaration Of Independence And Deterring A Dictatorship
July 3, 2009
I have been reading “The Young Jefferson, 1743-1789″ by Claude G. Bowers, written in 1945. Most of us should know that Thomas Jefferson was pretty much the author of the Declaration of Independence, even though there was a panel of 5 men appointed to draft such a document.
It certainly was not smooth sailing during those days of fighting the revolution and convincing the people that the sacrifices for freedom were well worth it.
It seems that only a few months prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, that Thomas Jefferson had quite a fight on his hands to quell a movement to form a dictatorship and it is believed that those who presented such an act wanted Patrick Henry to lead them. This was not the only time that some wanted to be led by such. It was during the second movement to appoint a dictator that Jefferson showed us his passion for liberty.
One would have to gain an understanding of the colonialists who came to America. They were timid, not used to a life of freedom, one not ruled by the king. They found comfort in appointing a ruler because they lacked knowledge of life in freedom.
During this fight, Jefferson wrote harshly and passionately about why his fellow Americans should not succumb to the throes of a dictator. The author of the book believes what Jefferson writes exemplifies the political principles and philosophy of the young Jefferson. This is what he writes:
Nothing that Jefferson has passed down to his countrymen and the friends of liberty everywhere is of more priceless value than these observations, and nothing more vividly sets forth the political principles and philosophy that guided his life.
Here are excerpts of what Jefferson wrote to those who thought a dictatorship was the answer to their problems. You may find similarities in our country of today.
One who entered into this contest from a pure love of liberty and a sense of injured rights, who determined to make every sacrifice, to meet every danger for the re-establishment of those rights on a firm basis, who did not mean to expend his love and substance for the wretched purpose of changing this master for that, but to place the powers of governing him in a plurality of hands of his own choice, so that the corrupt will of no one man might in future oppress him, must stand dumbfounded and dismayed when he is told that a considerable portion of that plurality had meditated the surrender of them into a single hand; and, in lieu of a limited monarchy, to deliver him over to a despotic one. How must we find his efforts and sacrifices abused and baffled if he may still, by a single vote, be laid prostrate at the feet of one man.
In God’s name, from whence have they derived this power? Is it from your ancient laws? None such can be produced.
Is it from any principle in our new Constitution, expressed or implied? Every lineament of that, expressed or implied, is in full opposition to it….. It provides a republican organization, proscribes under the name of prerogatives the exercise of all powers undefined by the laws…..
Or was this proposition moved on a supposed right, in the movers, of abandoning their posts in a moment of distress? The same laws forbid the abandonment of that post even on ordinary occasions; and much more a transfer of their powers into other hands and other forms without consulting the people. They never admit the idea that these, like sheep and cattle, may be driven from hand to hand without an appeal to their own will.
Was it from the necessity of the case? Necessities which dissolve a government do not convey its authority to an oligarchy or a monarchy. They throw back into the hand of the people the powers they had delegated and leave them, as individuals, to shift for themselves. A leader may offer, but not impose himself, nor be imposed by them. Much less can their necks be submitted to his sword, their breath to be taken at his will or caprice.
During this time, the revolution had not been going well. There were military disasters in Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Jefferson continues:
In this state alone did there exist so little virtue that fear was to be fixed in the hearts of the people, and to become the motive of their exertions, the principle of their governing? The very thought alone was treason against the people; was treason against mankind in general, as riveting forever the chains which bow down their necks, by giving to their oppressors a proof, which they would have trumpeted throughout the universe, of the imbecility of republican governments in times of pressing danger…………………………………….
Those who assume the right of giving away the reins of government in any case must be sure that the herd whom they hand on to the rods and hatchet of the dictator will lay their heads on the block when he shall nod to them…. What a cruel moment was this for creating such an embarrassment, for putting to the proof the attachment of our countrymen to republican government……………………………………..
Those who meant well, of the advocates of this measure – and most of them meant well, for I know them personally and had been their fellow laborer in the common cause, and had often proved the purity of their principles – had been seduced in their judgment by the example of an ancient republic, whose constitution and circumstances were fundamentally different. They had sought this precedent in the history of Rome, where alone it was to be found, and where at length, too, it proved fatal. They had taken it from a republic rent by the most bitter factions and tumults where the government was of a heavy-handed unfeeling aristocracy, over a people ferocious and rendered desperate by poverty and wretchedness…. Their constitution, therefore, allowed a temporary tyrant to be erected under the name of dictator; and that temporary tyrant, after a few examples, become perpetual.
Fortunately for us, the focus of independence and the belief that complete freedom from tyranny was how human beings were supposed to live.
Our Declaration of Independence, the holiday for which we celebrate on July the Fourth, informed the King of England that America wanted to be free; free from the tyranny of the King. The people wanted a different life but that is not why they came to America. It was not until after having been here for some time and through the leadership of those like Jefferson, were the people convinced that liberty was something worth fighting for. The King wanted their taxes, he wanted to control how they worshiped, who could get an education, who could own land and what you could do with that land.
Once the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Constitution was written. This document was the guiding force, that if followed, even 200 or more years later, would ensure that every American would live free.
We should celebrate Independence Day with the renewed thought that freedom is not something that is handed over to one man, to one administration, to one government. It is a freedom granted to us by God. It is “We the People” who control our destiny. We the people celebrate our independence. We the people should be free!
Tom Remington
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Some events over the Centuries during this week..
July 3- In 1775, George Washington takes command of the Continental Army. In 1778, British Loyalists massacre 360 American patriots in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. In 1884, the Dow Jones publishes its first stock average. In 1890, Idaho is admitted to the union as the 43rd of the several states. In 1952, the United States Congress approves what passes for Puerto Rico’s Constitution. In 1988, the USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 aboard.
July 4- In 1776, the Declaration of Independence is formally adopted by the Second Continental Congress. In 1826, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both pass from among us. In 1845, Henry David Thoreau begins his two-year sojourn at Walden Pond. In 1862, Lewis Carroll spins a yarn for Alice Liddell. In 1934, the engineering for an atomic bomb is patented by Leo Szilard. In 1946, 48 years after the United States claimed ownership of the Philippines and crushed resistance to its occupation at the cost of a million dead Filipinos, the country is granted independence.
July 5- In 1687, Isaac Newton publishes his ‘Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica’, laying out the foundation of his revolution in human understanding of the natural world. In 1865, the Salvation Army is founded in East London. In 1937, the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada– 113 O F– is reached. In 1946, the bikini is introduced in France. In 1954, Rock ‘n’ Roll is born, with Elvis Presley’s first commercial recording session. In 1996, Dolly the sheep is produced by cloning. In 1999, President Clinton imposes trade and economic sanctions against the Taliban government of Afghanistan.
July 6- In 1415, early Protestant reformer John Huss is burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church. In 1535, Sir Thomas More is executed by English King Henry VIII for refusing to countenance Henry’s decision to formally transform the Church of England into a Protestant church. In 1785, the dollar of silver– 27 grams– is chosen as the official American currency. In 1854, the first Republican Party convention is held. In 1887, the King of Hawaii is forced at gunpoint to sign a new Constitution written by Americans living in the islands which transferred power to the foreigners and set the stage for Hawaii’s annexation by the United States.
July 7- In 1863, The Union institutes a draft during the War Between The States– exemptions are available for $100. In 1898, Hawaii is annexed by the United States. In 2005 four explosions occur in the British mass-transit system, duplicating in remarkably precise detail the storyline of a “training exercise” against possible “terrorism” being conducted in exactly the same locations at exactly the same times. The event briefly raises Prime Minister Tony Blair’s abysmal approval rating to it’s highest point in two years, before it drops again back into the low 30s.
July 8- In 1775, the Continental Congress sends its final appeal to King George to redress the colonists’ grievances. The King pays attention as respectfully as today’s federal government does to the Constitution. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence is read aloud to the people of Philadelphia, and the Liberty Bell is rung.
July 9- In 1810, Napoleon annexes the Kingdom of Holland. In 1816, Argentina declares independence from Spain. In 1900, the Commonwealth of Australia is created. In 1922, Johnny Weissmuller sets a new world record with a 58.6 second 100 meter freestyle swim. In 1958, a 524-meter tsunami– the highest wave ever recorded– strikes Lituya Bay, Alaska. Interesting enough is the fact that someone was experimenting with under water nuclear detonation at the time…
Well this little Marxist idea should thrill INDEPENDENT thinkers…This Cowboy ain’t distracted by the ” dependents” day…Senate Bill Will Fine Those Refusing Health Coverage
Published on 07-03-2009 Email To Friend Print Version
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Senate-bill-fines-people-apf-3366298089.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode
Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years. Senate aides said the penalties would be modeled on the approach taken by Massachusetts, which now imposes a fine of about $1,000 a year on individuals who refuse to get coverage. Under the federal legislation, families would pay higher penalties than individuals.
In a revamped health care system envisioned by lawmakers, people would be required to carry health insurance just like motorists must get auto coverage now. The government would provide subsidies for the poor and many middle-class families, but those who still refuse to sign up would face penalties.
Called “shared responsibility payments,” the fines would be set at least at half the cost of basic medical coverage, according to the legislation. The goal is to nudge people to sign up for coverage when they are healthy, not wait until they get sick.
In 2008, employer-provided coverage averaged $12,680 a year for a family plan, and $4,704 for individual coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s annual survey. Senate aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the cost of the federal plan would be lower but declined to provide specifics.
The legislation would exempt certain hardship cases from fines. The fines would be collected through the income tax system.
The new proposals were released as Congress neared the end of a weeklong July 4 break, with lawmakers expected to quickly take up health care legislation when they return to Washington. With deepening divisions along partisan and ideological lines, the complex legislation faces an uncertain future.
Obama wants a bill this year that would provide coverage to the nearly 50 million Americans who lack it and reduce medical costs.
In a statement, Obama welcomed the legislation, saying it “reflects many of the principles I’ve laid out, such as reforms that will prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the concept of insurance exchanges where individuals can find affordable coverage if they lose their jobs, move or get sick.”
The Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions bill also calls for a government-run insurance option to compete with private plans as well as a $750-per-worker annual fee on larger companies that do not offer coverage to employees.
Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said in a letter to colleagues that their revised plan would cost dramatically less than an earlier, incomplete proposal, and help show the way toward coverage for 97 percent of all Americans.
In a conference call with reporters, Dodd said the revised bill had brought “historic reform of health care” closer. He said the bill’s public option will bring coverage and benefit decisions driven “not by what generates the biggest profits, but by what works best for American families.”
The Congressional Budget Office, in an analysis released Thursday evening, put the net cost of the proposal at $597 billion over 10 years, down from $1 trillion two weeks ago. Coverage expansions worth $645 billion would be partly offset by savings of $48 billion, the estimate said.
However, the total cost of legislation will rise considerably once provisions are added to subsidize health insurance for the poor through Medicaid. Those additions, needed to ensure coverage for nearly all U.S. residents, are being handled by a separate panel, the Senate Finance Committee. Bipartisan talks on the Finance panel aim to hold the overall price tag to $1 trillion.
The Health Committee could complete its portion of the bill as soon as next week, and the presence of a government health insurance option virtually assures a party-line vote.
In the Senate, the Finance Committee version of the bill is unlikely to include a government-run insurance option. Bipartisan negotiations are centered on a proposal for a nonprofit insurance cooperative as a competitor to private companies.
Three committees are collaborating in the House on legislation expected to come to a vote by the end of July. That measure is certain to include a government-run insurance option.
At their heart, all the bills would require insurance companies to sell coverage to any applicant, without charging higher premiums for pre-existing medical conditions. The poor and some middle-class families would qualify for government subsidies to help with the cost of coverage. The government’s costs would be covered by a combination of higher taxes and cuts in projected Medicare and Medicaid spending.