Wanted: Jeffersonian Republicans, Part I

The Declaration of Independence

By Robert Ringer

I know these are depressing times for those who cherish liberty, but I think it's a good idea to keep the concept of freedom in perspective. The historical truth is that freedom is a myth. True freedom has never existed anywhere on this planet.

This reality recently came to mind once again while I was watching a program about the lives of the U.S. presidents on The History Channel. It was a stark reminder that even in the supposedly civilized Western world, some people seem to have an insatiable lust for power over others.

The boldest experiment in doing away with dictatorial government was the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Then, against very long odds, the British Colonies defeated Great Britain in the eight-year-long American Revolutionary War, and the United States of America was born. To me, the most important words in the Declaration of Independence are:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ...

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

This remarkable document was the enslaved Colonialists' way of saying to their English rulers: "Enough! We hereby declare ourselves to be free." Unfortunately, from that point forward, the apparently uncontrollable urge of some of the revolutionists to govern their fellow Colonists led to a document that, in effect, created that dreaded of all human inventions: the nation-state.

Never mind that only a handful of men signed the document. This was a new declaration, but not a declaration of independence. Rather, is was a declaration of power over others — a declaration that proclaimed that all persons living within a certain geographical area were, in fact, not free ... a declaration that proclaimed them to be bound by The United States Constitution.

Keep in mind that those who were bound by this new document were not asked if they agreed to it, let alone asked to sign it. They were simply told that they would have new rules to abide by — and new rulers to enforce those rules.

Don't get me wrong. The Constitution is a brilliant document and, I believe, well-intended. With the exception of black slaves and Indians, it seems clear that most of the signers saw it as a document that would protect the rights and freedom of the inhabitants of the Colonies.

But I suspect that at least some of them recognized that, human nature being what it is, a democracy or democratic republic must ultimately move toward an all-powerful government that tyrannizes its citizens. They worked hard to protect against such an eventuality, but no document can be a foolproof deterrent to tyranny.

The Constitution went into effect in the summer of 1788, and it was all downhill from there. It took only a decade for Congress, under John Adams, to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which made it a crime for anyone to criticize the government "through writing or any other shape, form, or fashion." Specifically, criticizing the president, Congress, the military, or the flag was made illegal. This by a group of men who themselves had escaped bondage only twenty-two years earlier!

It was an audacious move by the Federalist-controlled Congress to silence the Republicans, particularly regarding their support of the French Revolution. It was, of course, in direct violation of the Bill of Rights, which clearly states, in the First Amendment, that "Congress shall make no law ... abridging freedom of speech, or of the press." Nice thought, huh?

As you'll see in Part II of this article, it would not be the last time our government tried to muzzle its critics.

Next - Wanted: Jeffersonian Republicans, Part II

If you have thoughts to share regarding this article:

Go to top of "Wanted: Jeffersonian Republicans, Part I: The Declaration of Independence"