Posted on 10/05/2016 12:59:11 PM PDT by Kaslin
The seemingly endless and sweltering Philadelphia summer was finally coming to an end. It is the 17th of September 1787 and for nearly four months delegates from twelve of the thirteen states, after many compromises and at times virulent disagreements, consented to what would become the Constitution of the United States of America. At the signing ceremony Ben Franklin gave an emotional speech using an anecdote involving a sun that was painted on the back of George Washington’s Presidents Chair. As recounted in James Madison’s notes:
Whilst the last members were signing it Doctor Franklin looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to the members near him, that Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun.
What made Franklin so optimistic was that the framers had devised a political system combining a republic with never before seen limitations on a central government through a unique system of checks and balances, as well as disbursal of governmental power to the various states, in order to avoid the possibility of a monarch or an oligarchy ever assuming the reins of an unfettered national government. Yet, two hundred and twenty-nine years later the same question can be asked as it now appears that the sun is indeed setting on America as founded.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Depends on which side of the room the chair was. Was it on the east wall or west wall?
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It set a long time ago.
excellent point
Their mistake, and our doom, was in not limiting who could vote. Just because a person is a citizen should not entitle that person to vote. Not every citizen has the same stake in our well being.
The USA has a history of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
My money is on the Americans.
I think about what the founding fathers could have done different. The 10th ammendment was a failsafe... But in the end it did not work. If I could go back I would implore them to make laws extremely easy to undo. In other words, any law can be overturned at any time with 1/3 majirity and presidents signature or 50% majority in house and senate. The founders were wise to make laws hard to pass, but they blew it on making them equally hard to undo.
“Their mistake, and our doom, was in not limiting who could vote.”
They did. The 15th ammendment took care of that.
Cat Stevens
Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven Like the first dewfall on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise ev'ry morning God's recreation of the new day
Morning has broken
It didn't work because it can't work. ANY government which is the creation of Man, and which is administered by Man is inherently flawed. Man's nature is corrupted by sin, and that deleteriously affects everything made by Man.
I think it probably has - definitely so if Trump loses. We all gravitate towards hope, but I think we all know the country is unfixable because about half the country With Her are incorrigibility greedy and corrupt.
In the times of Franklin, they all shared a common goal of how best to restrict the government. Now, we’re fighting half the country tooth and nail to try to try to contain the federal Leviathan - and we’re losing.
With unchecked mass third world immigration, it’s a short matter of time before Democrats ever have to worry about losing the presidency, which means whatever gains you think you can secure on a local level will be nullified by a tyrannical federal judiciary. We’re running out of time and options.
What?
The founding fathers were definitely against factions and parties. There's nothing to suggest that two (as opposed to three, four, etc.) parties is best.
Even if the Republicans had "acted their part" it would only have delayed the inevitable slide toward socialism. The Dems keep moving the needle left. The best the Republicans can do is keep the needle from moving further left. The people refuse to allow the needle to move to the right except when things get really dire.
America as founded died with the loss of the confederacy.
Post civil war America died with FDR’s new deal.
FDR America died when HW Bush assumed office and brought us New World Order liberal nation building.
If Trump wins we will enter a new period, if not the NWO will continue for four more years before crumbling.
Re : Post #7 ~
“The USA has a history of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.”
Amen. Go, Trump, GO!
Well, Four Score and Seven Years was a pretty short run. Yeah, the Sun set on America as it was founded back in 1861.
The worst Mistake we ever made was eliminating taxes as a requirement to vote. (24th amendment.) Second worst was probably lowering the voting age to 18. (26th amendment)
The 14th amendment was also pretty bad because it gave the Courts infinite flexibility in manipulating real rights and real laws to suit their liberal preferences.
We made a lot of mistakes.
The same question could have been asked during the Civil War. And US survived that war.
The current problem is arguably putting an and to the cold war aspect of the Civil War.
>>What made Franklin so optimistic was that the framers had devised a political system combining a republic with never before seen limitations on a central government through a unique system of checks and balances, as well as disbursal of governmental power to the various states, in order to avoid the possibility of a monarch or an oligarchy ever assuming the reins of an unfettered national government<<
Who was it that said, “Give me liberty or give me death”...anyone?
The sun of the Republic passed its zenith and began its inevitable descent with the ratification of the 16th, 17th, and 19th Amendments.
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