-Caveat Lector-
Brothers and Sisters, We have to keep your Address Book contacts, who are
not on mailing lists, informed;
so, in this hour of crisis you must spread the Truth
far and wide.
God bless all of you!
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There was a time when the states knew how, when to delegate
By Charley Reese
Jefferson Davis, the last American president to preside over a
constitutional republic (the Confederate States of America) had this to say
about the Constitution and the Union.
``I love the Union and the Constitution,'' he said, ``but I would rather
leave the Union with the Constitution than remain in the Union without it.''
I would guess many Americans have no idea what Davis meant, because they
have no idea what the original intent of the Constitution was. Many today, I
suspect, think that the Constitution is what allows people to burn flags and
dance naked in bars. In fact, the Founding Fathers had a rather more serious
purpose in mind.
The first step in understanding the original intent is to recall that
Colonial America existed for about 169 years before the American Revolution.
These colonies existed separately and independent of each other. When they
seceded from the British Empire, they did so separately and indepen-dently.
The Declaration of Independence is clear on this point. It states, ``We,
therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, ... solemnly
publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to
be, Free and Independent States'' (note the plural) ``... and that as Free
and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace,
contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all the other Acts and
Things which Independent States may of right do ... .''
They called themselves the United States because of the Articles of
Confederation. Article II of that document states, ``Each state retains its
sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction and
right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United
States in Congress assembled.''
Many people today seem to think that the federal government created the
states when it was the reverse. The states created the federal government as
a stronger form of confederation by delegating certain of their powers to
it. Thus, the purpose of the Constitution of 1787, like the Articles of
Confederation, was to create a voluntary union to accomplish specific
purposes, mainly to ensure a domestic free market, to provide for the common
defense of the states and to deal with foreign countries with one voice.
In the original Constitution, people were not American citizens per se but
were instead citizens of their respective states. The Constitution
stipulated that each state would grant to the citizens of other states the
rights and privileges it granted to its own. It's difficult to understand
the War Between the States without understanding the loyalty Americans --
North and South -- felt for their respective states.
But what is relevant for us today is that the people in the American
Republic (1787-1860) understand that the powers of the federal government
were strictly limited to those spelled out in the Constitution and that the
Constitution would be interpreted literally and narrowly. And, most
important, that the states themselves would be the final judge of the
federal government's actions.
In the North, however, there arose new feelings of nationalism and a belief
that a strong central government should provide economic benefits --
protective tariffs and infrastructure, for example. Southerners disagreed;
hence the split. Because the North prevailed and amended the Constitution to
expand the powers of the federal government, that's what we live under
today.
But Davis also said that questions that are settled by force and violence
remain forever unsettled and will arise again. And so, today, we are seeing
more and more people object to an unlimited central government. It seems
sometimes that human ``progress'' travels in a circle rather than a straight
line.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
This column was published on June 16, 1998.
Charley Reese is a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel
His E-mail address is - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Click on ThinkLinks to read more by Charley Reese
� Copyright 1998 King Features Inc.
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``On what rightful principle may a state, being not more than one-fifth part
of the Nation in soil and population, break up the Nation and then cause a
proportionately large sub-division of itself in a most arbitrary way?''
united States President Abraham Lincoln, February 18th, 1861
Folks, We all have a lot to learn about OUR Constitution.
Because if we don't learn about it, we sure in hell will lose it.
Turn off the tube and start doing some old-fashioned reading; say,
that history material you tossed aside while in high school so you
could go meet a hot date. lol
Your Nation needs you to be well informed, come November 2000.
The nightmare of the last six and a half years must end so you and your
children can live in a Society structured by our Constitution AND its
Bill of Rights (the first ten Amendments).
Let the word go forth that the Media Lords will not determine the fate
of you and yours.
Bard
Visit me at:
The Center for Exposing Corruption in the Federal Government
http://www.xld.com/public/center/center.htm
Federal Government defined:
....a benefit/subsidy protection racket!
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