People who do not like the Constitution have convinced themselves that the document was a rigged game from day one.
I don't try to teach pigs to sing.
I do not buy into the conspiracy theory that the Constitution was a rigged game. You see, I read the text, and I have read about the men involved. Yes, there were solid men of Liberty who refused to come to the table. Yes, there were men at the table who wanted a strong - approaching tyrannical - central Government. And the end result was a compromise.
I read the text and I know that if every person who swore an oath to abide the Constitution would actually read the text and act accordingly, 99% of our problems as a society would end.
People condemn George Washington for the Whiskey Rebellion. To paint Washington as evil for his actions during the Whiskey Rebellion is to accept that he was evil prior and after, and that is simply a position I can't accept.
I think he was wrong and made a mistake. That mistake was listening to Hamilton versus Jefferson. Many of our problems today can be traced to this one, early mistake of George Washington - taking the counsel of Hamilton over that of Jefferson.
What it proves is Daniel Webster was correct: There will always be men who mean to be Masters.
It also proves the wisdom of Jefferson.
You and I see the problems with the Constitution, it is not perfect. But more importantly, I think we recognize that it is not the fault of the Constitution, but of the men who pervert it, and those of us who tolerate those perversions.
Let's clean our house of Traitors to the Constitution, and Liberty will be revived by the following sunrise.
Kerodin
III
At first, I thought the title was "Mistakes vs. Malthus". That would be interesting, in the context of the Constitution...
ReplyDeleteOne way or the other, what we have now would blow even Hamilton away.
Nevertheless.
Forward.
Thank you Kerodin. This has long been a bone of contention between me and many liberty-minded people I know. I don't think, for one minute (for personal philosophical/religious reasons) that the Constitution was divinely inspired directly (i.e.God spoke the the Founding Fathers like the LDS believe He talks to the President of the Church). I do believe it is one of the finest documents of governance ever conceived by man, and was a far more realistic, long-term organization of governance than the AoC. Besides, I swore an oath, and I'm not going to renege on that oath because of some pipe dream of anarcho-capitalists.
ReplyDeleteND,
JM
Question. I would be interested in seeing a list of all the founders that refused to sign the Constitution, and what reasons they gave. I have heard there were a lot. I know Patrick Henry (give me liberty or give me death) refused. I think there were some flaws like the general welfare clause that need fixed. I have read a few articles where this was one of the big concerns. Not trying to flame this. I have just started reading some of the arguments against the constitution, (by some of the founding fathers)and in favor of keeping and fixing the articles of confederation. I am not saying ditch the Constitution. Rather understand the warnings and concerns about it, and figure out where it needs fixed.
ReplyDeleteGood points, Sam. I have always faulted Washington for his actions during the Whiskey Rebellion, but never stopped to think it could have been a matter of a mistaken choice made by an otherwise ethical man. It can be quite easy to cause such a man to err, especially if the person(s) advising him push the right buttons in their coercion of his behavior, making him believe his choice of action is in the best interest of everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteHaving been led astray myself back when I was a peace officer, I certainly cannot throw any stones, even though I let a large number of people slide on "crimes" that other officers would have arrested them for.