----- Original Message -----
From: Dean Forster <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> If you really believe that the men who founded this
> country were so aristocratic, narrow and almost wholly
> self serving, I pity you sir.
I have tremendous respect for the founders of this nation. But, you do have
to remember that they were politicians, not theorists. I think much of the
American mythology surrounding them actually decreases a true appreciation
of their efforts. I am more than willing to accept that the founders of
this country had more than their narrow self interests at heart. I also
agree that they made a radical step. But, they did not make a full step to
the democracy that we have today.
The Constitution is a political document born out of a realistic
understanding of what it would take to form a nation. The original
Constitution had immorality written into it: the 2/3rds compromise. It had
a limited trust of the common man. IIRC, most of the original 13 colonies
had property ownership requirements for voting. And, for the federal
government, most of these folks could only vote for the House of
Representatives. The Electoral College was supposed to be a council of
wise men who were chosen for their wisdom. They would decide the president,
not the popular vote. The Senate was not elected by the people, it was
elected by the state representatives. In this case, the legislative body of
the states would choose who would represent that state in the Federal
government.
None of this is intended as criticism. The steps they took were radical at
the time. But, since an elected national government was a bit of an
experiment, and the fear of mob rule existed, they had some checks on the
power of the majority.
When writing the constitution, I don't think they really worried about a guy
with 4 or 5 years of grade school education being able to understand the
documents. Rather, I think it was a document that was meant to be
understood and used by those who grappled with the issue of how to govern
well for the benefit of all.
In short, the founders of the US were politicians. With one possible
exception, I think they were the best politicians in our history. That's a
complement in my book. The citizens of the United States are forever in
debt to them for what they accomplished politically.
Dan M.
