American Sphinx

The Apostle of Freedom, "I have sworn on the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." That is the inscription inside the Jefferson Memorial dome. He was a man that was in the right place at the right time with the right abilities and greatness was bestowed upon him almost by accident. However, it seems the great esteem he experienced had an effect of precipitating his idealism or it may have been there from the beginning. He was a dreamer an idealist, someone who sees a grand scheme but, not necessarily all the pictures in a painting. Sometimes this blinded him to the inconsistencies in his choices but, aren't we, all a little or a lot, self-delusionists. Don't we all create a self-image based on certain behaviors and choices and ignore others. We don't want to see the choices we maker or actions we take that don't fit the picture of the good person we see of ourselves. Jefferson was like that,he acted with one hand and didn't want to see what the other hand did. Or maybe he acted without thinking things thru first. We are beholden to him for his brave and determined fight against tyranny and for keeping the ship that is America from going too far to one side.

His famous moment began before the editorial changes were made by Continental Congress "We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & unalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness." Jefferson believed that the natural state of man is freedom from and equality with all other individuals any restrictions on this natural order was immoral transgressions, violations of what God intended. This is a recipe, if not tampered with, will produce maximum human happiness. Thomas Jefferson really was an utterly brilliant political rhetorician and visionary. He used whatever means necessary to guard this creed even if it alienated his friends and associates. One of these friends was his mentor and one of the main founding fathers, John Adams. He was his partner and mentor writing the Declaration of Independence, he was the one who recommended Thomas Jefferson. They also worked together in France as ambassadors. But after George Washington Stepped down after two terms as president they were both in the running for being the next president. Thomas Jefferson had a habit of writing or saying things about his political rivals, that were helpful to his political guarding of our freedom but alienated others. He hated the federalists and apposed Alexander Hamilton Vehemently. He said John Adams was a monarchist among other things. This ended their friendship until later in their lives when both had been president. They wrote a hundred plus letters to each other and talked frequently about the 'spirit of 76' and what it all meant.

Even thought he only freed a couple of slaves when he died, he believed slavery was an evil institution imposed on the colonists by a corrupt monarch. He at another time said Slavery was the serpent in the garden sent there by a satanic king. The colonists had nothing to do with establishing slavery-they were the unfortunate victims of English barbarism. Thomas Jefferson was more a prophet than a politician. His favorite ideas were several steps ahead of public opinion. In the Virginia assembly the thrust of his political thinking was clear. Remove all barriers to individual initiative and create an opening the development of virtue and talent, and creative thinking. He wrote the Ordinance of 1784 which established the principles on which all new states would be admitted to the union on an equal basis with existing states. The final provision required the end of slavery in all newly created states by 1800. It lost by one vote. He later remarked "the fate of millions unborn (was) hanging on the tongue of one man, and Heaven was silent in that awful moment!" What a moment that was, can you imagine as I do how much pain and suffering that one vote has cost this nation and I almost would like to find out who was responsible for that one awful vote.

Madison was Jefferson's lifelong friend and 50 year coalition in the political arena. Madison helped to be a sounding board and temper some of Jefferson's more idealistic ideas and proposals. He helped to ground Jefferson to reality and Jefferson listened to his advice. They created a ciphered code to conceal sensitive information. John Quincy Adams said "the mutual influence of these two mighty minds upon each other is a phenomenon."

As President he rarely met with his whole cabinet and had meetings separately. He was a writer and literally functioned as president from the lap of his desk. He described his governing style as the hub of a wheel with the business of the nation done at the rim, conveyed through the departmental spokes but all supervised at the center. He avoided confrontation and used the term "take the handle by the smooth end" to describe this behavior. He felt the President should be as invisible as possible and rarely went out. He did have dinners at his house where he tried to foster communication in the political realm at Washington but, later had to invite only members that would not be so opposed to each other. He kept them going because he believed it created personal bonds and emotional attachments that might help override political disagreements.

As president he inherited the most stable and peaceful international scene since the United States had declared its independence. He understood partly from John Adams failure that keeping another president's cabinet is a disastrous decision. He collected in a mass around his administration all the abilities and the respectability to which the offices exercised could employ. His cabinet proved to be one of the ablest and the most stable collection of executive advisers in the history of the American presidency. His first item of business was to retire the national debt and he did just that. Maybe he felt responsible because he was complicit in Alexander's plan of assuming states debts, and regarded it as America's original sin. In line with that he was solely responsible for the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase.

Jefferson's clearest statement of his minimalist theory of government is as follows:"wise and frugal governments, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them free to regulate their pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities. Oh, how would it be today if we could have followed this motto, we would not be facing the recession that we have now dim prospects for our future I believe unless we can go toward the Jefferson model of minimal government. Jefferson Believed as our stock market shows "the release of national energy increased as the power of government decreased." And it did when he was President. In his inaugural address he likened the country to a ship "we shall put her back on her republican tack, and she will show by the beauty of her motion the skill of her builders."

He and John Adams died on the same day 50 years to the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. When John Adams died second he said "Thomas Jefferson still lives". The world in general, doesn't seem to comprehend why he said that but, I think I know. Perhaps Thomas Jefferson came to pick up John Adams spirit from the world after this one. How indebted we are to him and John Adams as well as the other founding fathers for their guiding the ship of our country on the beginning of its maiden voyage when it was the most vulnerable. How well it was recorded in their letters to each other and to a nation as presidents. While discussing their familiar topic "the spirit of 76" they discovered that they had only imagined republican was not monarchy but, then realized that "governments are republican only in proportion as they embody the will of the people, and execute it. In addition he said "The further the departure from direct and constant control by the citizens, the less has the government the ingredient of republicanism."
Now we must ask what is happening to our country on our watch and what are we leaving for our children. I am in full support of candidates to Washington that support the Jefferson principles as limiting government, being frugal, letting the states have more control. It has been proven through history that when the government is kept at a minimal level like in Jefferson's Presidency the Country Flourishes.

Even though this was a great book to read, and it illuminated the positives of Thomas Jefferson it still had a more negative spin. I am concerned by the spin I have seen in it toward a more liberal view of our founding fathers. Going thru my notes in the book I have found that when I leave out the conjecture and spin I have a different view of Jefferson than before. So Instead of finding all the faults and perceived or concocted ideas of what the founding fathers were doing or thinking, let us look at the facts. Look at all they did that we are indebted to them for. Let us thank them by following their good examples. Look at what has worked in history for the government of the people, by the people and find a way to get back to the "spirit of 76".

Founding Brothers Conclusion

The Collaborators

Washington was leaving office and the next president was needed to be selected. The memory of 76 was still alive and only those leaders who had stepped forward at the national level to promote the great cause were eligible. Back then to solicit votes was itself a confession of unworthiness for national office. Because Washington had served and Benjamin Franklin was dead it naturally left two candidates Adams and Jefferson. Adams was vice president to Washington and had cast 31-38 tie breaking votes in the senate more than any subsequent vice president in American history. (This was in part due to the small size of the senate. Adams credentials made him virtually unbeatable. He led the opposition against the Stamp Act and every British policy toward the American colonies. Adams was known as "the Atlas of independence" for renouncing any reconciliation with England during the Continental Congress. He also published his guidebook "Thoughts on Government". He lobbied for Washington to head the Continental Army and picked Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence. These were a few among many of his contributions. He also held many offices of government secretary of war being one and vice president under Washington being the other. The vice president has two duties, one to serve as president pro tem of the Senate, casting a vote only to break a tie. Adams cast thirty-one tie-breakers more than any subsequent vice president in American history. Still it was a thin victory 71 to 68 in favor of Adams and Jefferson became the vice president. Until the twelfth Amendment electors voted for two candidates, not one ticket of two.

Jefferson had a nasty habit of attacking his political opponents even when they were once friends and Adams was no exception. However, Jefferson being the vice president, Adams invited him to join his cabinet to create a bipartisan administration. Adams wife Abigail, who was so crucial to his presidency thought that they could look past their present problems and build on a previous trusting relationship. For Adams he felt that differences could be overcome intimacy trumped ideology. But, for Jefferson he had in reality become a party leader and loyalty to party trumped intimacy to Adams. The other difficulty was that Adams retained Washington's advisors probably his biggest blunder since they were all federalists while Jefferson was a republican. Jefferson also turned down a position as an envoy to France. The country was facing an undeclared war against French privateers in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Adams was committed to American neutrality and eventually did send an Envoy to France who was successful at preventing war. But, the biggest Blunder of the Adams presidency was the Alien and Sedition Acts. They were designed to deport or disenfranchise foreign-born residents, mostly Frenchmen, who were disposed to support the Republican Party, and to make it a crime to publish "any false, scandalous, and malicious writing or writings against the Government of the United States." Adams went to his grave claiming this law was signed by him grudgingly and reluctantly and never enjoyed his support. But, these laws backfired on the Federalists eventually leading to the party's demise. Because when they tried to support it they found the public would take the side of the defendants and looked at the federalist like bullies. Adams was a president without a party. His cabinet were federalists and his vice president republican but, Adams stayed neutral his last acts as president was establishing the government headquarters on the Potomac.

 

 

 

The Friendship

Adams struck a final blow before he left office in what is termed as "the Midnight Judges". He appointed several Federalists, John Marshall chief among them, that denied Jefferson the right to choose his own men and caused him immense trouble in his presidency. The Adam's "team" leveled two charges against Jefferson's political honor. One that Jefferson was personally involved in his Presidential Campaign. Two that Jefferson had vilified a man whom he claimed was a longstanding friend. Jefferson's first term in office however was one of the most successful in American history, capped off by the Louisiana Purchase (1803) which doubled the size of the Nation. His second term on the other hand was more of a blunder with the infamous Embargo Act (1807), which devastated the economy while failing to avert the looming war with England. It is interesting to study the letters between Jefferson and Adams to see that history experienced is different than history remembered. Adams claims when Jefferson sat with him in congress he never heard three sentences stringed together. And yet Jefferson is seen as a major player in the Continental congress.

One of the most interesting stories in this chapter happens with Adams friend Benjamin Rush with whom Adams corresponds with regularly. They talk about dreams in their letters and Benjamin at one point has a dream that Adams and Jefferson make peace and begin writing each other and then they pass away on the same day. Truth was stranger they passed away on the 50^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence within five hours of each other.

The Adams and Jefferson correspondence was very political. Even though Adams didn't have a party and Jefferson was a party man thru and thru. The differing political opinion was about a strong federal government or not. Jefferson talked about the few being destined to govern the many but; he did not favor a strong federal government. He was wrong about the French Revolution, initially he say it as another American splitting off from England. But, changed his tune later on, which was common and he had a gift of betraying friends for his political party.

It is interesting that Adam's last words were Thomas Jefferson still lives and he was the second of the two to die. To Adams America is still an experiment and we can see that through history there have been challenges to this country and good men rise up and make a difference still.

Founding Brothers-Part Two

The Silence

In February 11, 1790 two Quaker delegates presented petitions calling for the immediate end to the slave trade. Benjamin Franklin endorsed this petition. This was relatively the only chance to end slavery before the exponential growth of births and more slaves made it much more difficult. The United States Constitution prohibited the abolishment until after 1808. This was why the southern states signed the constitution along with the Bill of Rights that guaranteed the rights of property to all citizens. The South also threatened in 1861 that if the slaves were free then they would secede from the union. The southern delegates gave two documents that supported slavery. John Page believed silence was the real danger because the slaves would hear that congress would do nothing to help them and then insurrections would start. However, the Declaration of Independence gave expression to the belief that the general emancipation of slaves was both imminent and inevitable. The American Revolution destroyed the foundation on which slavery rested because it was fought on the belief that all man was created equal. But, this didn't help but only gave people false optimism because they knew the slave trade was recognized as a criminal activity. The reality was that south of the Potomac slavery was woven in to the fabric of American society in ways that defied appeals to logic or morality. This is again a case of theory verses application. The theory was that the slave trade should end but, in application in was extremely difficult. It was embedded in the economics of the south. In addition Thomas Jefferson himself wrote "what is to be done the slaves when they are freed?" He expounded that there would always be a separation between whites and blacks because of the prejudices of the whites and the injuries in the past slave trade to the blacks. There were two major weaknesses of the antislavery arguments according to the Deep South. One, Slavery was not going to die a natural death proven by the 1790 census. Two the gradual emancipation plans of the northern were not effective models for the south because the North had only 10 percent of the slavery population. Two assumptions those who favored gradual emancipation was that slavery was a moral and economic problem that demanded a political solution. They thought that the owners could be compensated and that the slaves could be transported somewhere else. Both of these problems proved near impossible to solve. The cost was two high nor was the relocation anything but a validation for segregation. The slavery issue was the last one that Benjamin Franklin weighed in on. He submitted the petition that he had set aside at the constitutional convention. He wanted to see the end to slavery.

The Farewell

George Washington wrote a Farwell letter to the American people after two terms in office. In was a tenuous time because America had just fought a war against a king and yet all they knew was a quasi-king as George Washington's critics called him. Now he was stepping down and who would lead the country. But, Washington left very sound advice to America. He denounced excessive partisanship, most especially when it took the form of political parties pursuing a vested ideological agenda or sectional interest groups oblivious to the advantages of cooperation. We all know the problems with a two party system. He also advised American neutrality in foreign affairs. Washington was the supreme example of the leader who could be trusted with power because he was so ready to give it up. Washington believed in independence which was rooted in his commitment to control, over himself and over any and all events with the power to determine his fate. What a great example to all of us not to give up our freedom over any cause however noble it may be. It's remarkable that until 1940 and President Franklin D. Roosevelt Washington's voluntary surrender of the presidency after two terms was not broken. In 1951 with the passage of the 22^nd amendment the two term presidency or ten years was made law. The farewell address has three features. First, he wanted to demonstrate that he was still very much in charge, that his senility was not in question. Second he wanted to carve out a middle course in a moderate tone for the future of the country. Third, he wanted a chance to explain his own version of the American Revolution and his vision of the future of the country not only for the now but for posterity. Washington had a vision of American and he stated it thus;" If we are permitted to improve without interruption, the great advantages which nature and circumstances have placed within our reach, many years will not revolve before we may be ranked not only among the most respectable, but among the happiest people on earth." It is this vision that I value in Washington the most. It is this vision which helped him make the tough decisions such at Jay's treaty that upset many people but, turned out for the best for America. Jay's treaty with England required that they move their troops from the west and provided protection of America through the British Fleet. It postponed the war with England until America was economically and politically more capable of fighting one. But, it gave the trade with England precedence to other countries such as France. It was a repudiation of the Franco-American alliance of 1778. One message of the Farewell address was distinctly felt by Washington his fellow politicians such as Jefferson and Madison who were once on his side got involved in the party politics that Washington opposed. He thus preached the subordinating of sectional and ideological differences to large national purposes. Washington wanted a National University because he thought that it would bring camaraderie between young Americans that the war did for him. Washington was an American Zeus, Moses, and Cincinnatus all rolled into one. He knew his presence and the functions he had performed personally would leave such a void that he proposed congress increase federal powers after he left. Washington even advised the Indians to do as he was going to do go to his farm and retire their life of hunting and gathering. He left his slaves with not only freedom when he died but, with money to sustain them through the transition,Which speaks volumes about how he believed all men were created equal.

Founding Brothers-Part one

My sixteen year old had to read this book for school. It is one of the best I have read and definitely not what I would think High School'ers would read although my Jr. College was like a big High school so maybe times have changed. It has so many big words in it I love it and it was very educational. So let me share a few of the things I have learned.

Founding Brothers

The Founding Brothers the book focuses on is George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. It begins with the American Revolution being the beginning of the Democratic Experiment. Could a Republic work in governing large populated areas rather than just small states? The forming of America happened in a revolutionary manner rather than evolutionary because the decisive events that shaped our country take place with dynamic intensity during the last quarter of the eighteenth century. With the American Revolution as with all revolutions different factions came together to throw off the government rule at the time and develop a new government based on a republic where the people have the rule. What happened after that moment was a ongoing debate of the two main factions that had come together one was individual rule or state rule and the other was the federal rule. This debate was institutionalized in parties and has been continuing, except for the civil war, without violence for over 200 years. Its term today would be the Liberal verses Conservative. George Washington believed in the idea of popular Sovereignty where the people hold the power in government. The benefit is that we have this debate in the two party system of what interpretation of the constitution. When a party gets too much power and begins pulling us one way that the other party seems to rise up and bring us back toward the middle. One of the "unseemly features" of the Constitutional Convention was the conundrum the insoluble political problem namely that it purported to coerce obedience to national laws but remain true to the original " spirit of '76" which abhorred such political power. It is interesting that "American" originally meant someone inferior and "democrat" meant one who panders to the mindless and crude whims of the masses. However it seems to me that the masses do not like extremes and would rather our country stay in the middle of the ongoing debate but, whether we like it or not we have steadily moved to more government control or the liberal side of the argument.

    The assets that America had at the time were a beautiful continent, a youthful population, a broad distribution of property, and George Washington. Their liabilities were mostly slavery. John Marshall the Author of History of the American Revolution saw the liberal movement of Alexander Hamilton and the federalists as a liberal movement. Mercy Otis Warren who wrote The Life of George Washington depicts the American Revolution as a deep seeded liberation movement from European Monarchy and Aristocracy. In a nutshell the book summarizes several points. First, that the achievement of the revolutionary generation was a collective enterprise from multiple factions. Second, The founders new each other and had a rivalry and friendship. Third, they managed to avoid the slavery issue. Fourth, the founding fathers new they were going to be followed by posterity and sometimes wrote letters for such a reason.

The Duel

Alexander Hamilton had a duel with Aaron Burr because of political attacks he made on Burr's character specifically about the changing political views Burr seemed to generate. The duel was held on a ledge and from the letters from Hamilton he never intended to shoot the first two rounds yet he put on his spectacles. Hamilton was shot fatally on the first volley and both guns discharged. There is evidence that Burr did not mean to kill Hamilton one because he shot him in the hip and that was one of the favorite targets in a duel when one did not want to kill the other. Second Burr had a desire to talk to Hamilton when he went down. Because Burr demanded a complete disavow of all the criticisms that Hamilton had made Hamilton could not back out of the duel without lying because he admits to the accusations of Burrs Character and does so with his blood. Hamilton believed burr was a true politician telling people what they wanted to hear and changing sides. He was looking for power and at the time the young United States could not survive corrupt of incompetent officials very well. The Duel ended Hamilton's life and as much as I don't like him he did a honor and died for what he believed. Aaron Burr's political career was also ruined. He had almost made it to president but, his career was essentially over now and in my mind it was a blessing because he did appear to be a man without principles.

The Dinner

Alexander Hamilton came up with a plan to nationalize the states debts. He wanted to recover public credit and the assumption of state debts was key to his financial plan for the new Republic. James Madison blocked this key provision. Thomas Jefferson came onto the scene and invited them both to dinner to discuss a compromise. Madison needed to go along with assumption of state debts and Hamilton needed to support the Headquarters of the new government to be on the Potomac. Two years afterward, Jefferson confided in Washington that Madison was right and that night was the biggest Political mistake of his life. Hamilton was trying to unravel the tangled mess of the economy and put the Country are surer financial footing by recovering public credit. James Madison was not so much worried about the economic issue of assumption as he was concerned about the power of the federal government over the state government. It would require states to trust their fate to the collective wisdom and virtue of a central government. The word consolidation brought up the ideological fear that the state governments would be consumed by the federal government. Hamilton on the other hand believed that the constitution gave the new government powers competent to calling for the resources of the community. Assumption was not a plot to destroy the political integrity of the states but to consolidate their debts and nationalize the economy for the benefit of all. Hamilton believed that concentration of capital in the hands of a select few who would invest the money and not spend it was channeling their talent for the economic growth of the country. Hamilton believed the urban elite, merchants, bankers, and business leaders were the central figures in the emergent American society. These were the kind of people who rescued him from obscurity as a youth. Here was the problem because Madison and those he represented believed that property was the measurement of wealth in America. Madison was given the title "Big Knife" for cutting deals with congress. So thru this secret meeting of Hamilton and Madison at Jefferson's house assumption of state debts by the federal government (Virginia owed as much as taxes collected so it was a wash) and the Headquarters of the American government was moved to the Potomac. The benefit from the Countries capital being on the Potomac is that the financial capital and the government capital were in two different places. If this deal had not happened we would have had Washington dc in Philadelphia just think of that!

The Strength of Women Leaders

I am working on a long blog about founding brothers but, in the meantime I wanted to share a thought with you on the book Sarah Palin. I am in the middle of reading it too. But, let me preface that with another inspirational moment watching a program about small loans in poor countries. This TV program talked about non-profit small banks giving loans of $20-$100 to women in poor countries who are trying to make a better life for their children. It seems that when woman get these loans there is a 90% or more return rate on that money. That is a phenomenal number and I was really impressed. One woman was sewing bags made out of juice boxes for purses, another raised chickens, one collected hair by giving children small toys if they would collect hair. Not only did these women make a better life for their children but, they ended up hiring other women even up to 70 women to help in their businesses. So not only are they helping the economy in their one family home they are helping build a community with other women and their families. I am so impressed with this micro-credit revolution. When I was watching it made total sense, what women does not want a better life for her children so she would do anything to pay the loans back and build their business so their children have a better chance. Now the interesting point they made was that when they tried to give micro-credit to men it does not work. The Men do not stick with the program and do not pay back the loans. They are not daily invested with their children but a little more removed. So they lack what the women have as motivation to succeed. They tend to be more concerned with themselves and spend the money on their interests and sometimes their family get a little of the money trickledown style. But, Women directly help their children not only live better but, they proved that the children's education improves more immediately than what they thought would happen. In one generation you can turn a family around from being poor to not being poor. What an enormous influence that can be on a whole community or a whole nation. When you think about it, being a mother is a decision to sacrifice your own wants and needs for another and it begins usually by sacrificing your body to house and build a whole separate being. That kind of sacrifice in micro credit has proven to be effective in women receiving loans and being productive in business. Now you may ask what does that have to do if anything with Sarah Palin. I say a whole lot. When you think of how men tend to think of themselves when it comes to money you can see a whole nation's future being spent by these selfish men who tend to not think of what's best for the children when they plunge the country farther and farther into debt. It is people like Sarah Palin who is a Momma Grizzly who can see what would benefit the children, the family and the community. What works for micro credit can work for politics in America. Bring on the mamma Grizzles in Washington I am behind them supporting them one hundred percent!