The Americanness of the American Revolution - Why the Founders succeeded

City Journal ^ | Autumn 2012 | MYRON MAGNET

[EternalVigilance]

Your view as regards “unprincipled” is certain to be controversial but that makes it no less vital a subject for discussion.

Agreed.

Sam Adams and Dr. Warren were rabble-rousers and mob organizers. Did they retain their honor?

[Sans-Culotte]

I am pretty sure that Americans are too lazy for revolution these days. What between their favorite tv shows and their trips to McDonalds. There isn’t really time for a revolution.

There was a story of one of Holder's peeps calling 9-1-1 because a McDonald's was out of chicken McNuggets. Maybe a McNugget shortage will spark a revolution?

Getting back to the article: we're a nation of world citizens now; not Americans.

[loveliberty2]

Thanks, Jacquerie, for reposting the link to the Frothingham history. Why this work has not been retained as a national treasure would be a mystery, were it not that technology now enables us to trace the termite-like work of so-called "liberals," or "progressives," as they now describe themselves, in removing such well-researched and thoughtful histories of the development of "the Republic of the United States" from libraries and public educational institutions.

According to his Preface, Frothingham, as one of the "proprietors and editors" of a Boston newspaper, had, over a period from 1838 to 1872, already written many articles and histories of the Revolutionary Period, the Declaration, etc., his "Rise of the Republic. . ." was a massive undertaking at writing about the principles and ideas which motivated such a remarkable achievement on behalf of human liberty.

Now, may I suggest another provocative and extensive look at that achievement from a man of Frothingham's period, and a man whose perspective, given today's "progressive" interpretations, may be of special interest.

In that case, the man is Rev. Benjamin W. Arnett, an Ohio Legislator and Minister in the A.M.E. Church, who was invited to provide the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence Thanksgiving Sermon in November 1876 in the city of Urbana, Ohio. On his way to conclusions about America's founding and 100-year history, he traces the histories of governments throughout recorded history.

The full text may be read at the "Library of Congress - Historical Collections" -

"African-American Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection," 1820-1920; American Memory, Library of Congress

Washington, DC,

CENTENNIAL Thanksgiving Sermon, DELIVERED BY REV. B. W. ARNETT, B. D., AT ST. PAUL A. M. E. CHURCH, URBANA, OHIO 1876

Beginning on P. 45 of this Sermon, Rev. Arnett begins a section he calls "The Danger to our Country." He identifies the leading proponents of the movement of individuals who self-identify as "liberals" and quotes from their literature of the fundamental "changes" they wish to bring about. Read that listing, prepared by one of their own, and see if it does not match the accomplishments of those we now identify as "progressives."

A third piece of writing from the period beginning in the 1870's through the early part of the 20th Century which sheds further light on our departure from the founding ideas can be read at the Liberty Fund Library here.

Titled, "The Impracticability of Socialism," Edward Stanley Robertson's essay, part of a collection on the Library site, provides clear distinctions between the ideas of today's Administration policies and those of America's Founders.

"Freedom is the most valuable of all human possessions, next after life itself. It is more valuable, in a manner, than even health. No human agency can secure health; but good laws, justly administered, can and do secure freedom. Freedom, indeed, is almost the only thing that law can secure. Law cannot secure equality, nor can it secure prosperity. In the direction of equality, all that law can do is to secure fair play, which is equality of rights but is not equality of conditions. In the direction of prosperity, all that law can do is to keep the road open. That is the Quintessence of Individualism, and it may fairly challenge comparison with that Quintessence of Socialism we have been discussing. Socialism, disguise it how we may, is the negation of Freedom. That it is so, and that it is also a scheme not capable of producing even material comfort in exchange for the abnegations of Freedom, I think the foregoing considerations amply prove." - EDWARD STANLEY ROBERTSON

[Jacquerie]

Thank you very much. I bookmarked it.

[meadsjn]

That so many great men came together at that time and place to do such great deeds is one of history’s most thought-provoking miracles.

And this is why some of us insist that the founding of the USA, the Declaration of Independence, and the US Constitution, truly a 5000-year leap in human existence, are stronger evidence of Divine Intervention than any or all the religions and religious writings that preceded them throughout history.

[scott7278]

I wish I could go back in time and give the Founders a snapshot of our downgraded America, so that they could build in some safeguards.

All religions would be tolerated, so long as they conformed to the ideals of the U.S. Constitution. Any attempt to infringe upon another’s rights under the guise of religion - atheism, secular humanism, or agnosticism included - would be intolerable.

[muawiyah]

So, why does Mexico suck ~ well, could be depends on where you are.

Mexico, too, is one of the top places to live on this planet ~ but from the perspective of the US or Canada it looks crumby ~ but from Africa the folks there can't even tell the difference between Mexico and the US ~ we are all rich and technologically advanced compared to them.

BTW, Mexico has a republican form of government and people have property rights ~ all modeled on the American design.

Not that I don't want that wall built but they have social customs with which I disagree and are best kept in their own country.

[muawiyah]

Since 1648 everybody in the Colonies ate meat every day ~ not just the Indians. The great plague in the winter before had been a total disaster for them and they had to turn to commercial meat hunting for white customers.

The rest of the world wasn't like that. Still isn't.