Fisher Ames "A democracy is a volcano which conceals the fiery materials of its own destruction."

American Minute ^ | September 20, 2019 | Bill Federer

[Perseverando]

He sat next to George Washington in the pew at St. Paul's Chapel in New York during the religious service following Washington's Presidential Inauguration.

He helped ratify the U.S. Constitution.

His name was Fisher Ames.

Fisher Ames was a Congressman from Massachusetts where, on August 20, 1789, he proposed as the wording of the First Amendment (Annals of Congress, 1:766):

"Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or to prevent the free exercise thereof, or to infringe the rights of conscience."

Fisher Ames contrasted MONARCHY with a REPUBLIC (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays, Second Series, chp. 7-"Politics," 1844, p. 97; Library of America, 1983):

"Monarchy is a merchantman, which sails well, but will sometimes strike on a rock, and go to the bottom;

whilst a republic is a raft, which would never sink, but then your feet are always in water."

America's republic was described by Fisher Ames in his articled "Monitor," (The New England Palladium of Boston, 1804 (Works of Fisher Ames, compiled by a number of his friends, Boston, T.B. Wait & Co., 1809, p. 272):

"We now set out with our experimental project, exactly where Rome failed with hers. We now begin, where she ended."

One of the most famous orators to have served in Congress, Fisher Ames, at the age of 46, was elected Harvard's president, but he declined to serve due to an illness which eventually led to his death.

Exactly 32 years to the day after America declared its Independence , Fisher Ames died on July 4, 1808, at the age of 50

Warning against the deep-state temptation of those in power to rig the system to stay in power, Fisher Ames wrote in "Speeches on Mr. Madison's Resolutions" (Works of Fisher Ames, compiled by a number of his

[Perseverando]

Time for another great American (and world) history lesson from American Minute.

[GraceG]

Only vested people should vote...

or veterans...

I'd be okay with veterans only voting...

Even if I could never vote again.

Service Grantees citizenship!

[DIRTYSECRET]

Interesting.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Starship Trooper fan, eh ? ;-)

[zaxtres]

I would prefer if you stopped voting all together now. I served as a volunteer but I served for the right reasons. Forcing someone to serve in the military is wrong. Guaranteeing someone citizenship if they serve in the military is also wrong if that is the main reason why they are serving. There is a very valid reason why the Founding Fathers did not go the way of forced servitude in the military. I suggest you revisit that before you vote next time.

[one guy in new jersey]

Sheesh, zaxtres! A little harsh, don’t you think? Restricting voting to U.S. military veterans would have “cons” but probably have a whole lotta “pros”, at least in terms of screening out people who are by nature freeloaders, or who are scared of their own shadows and require the federal government to serve as their protector, provider, husband of last resort, etc.

[MuttTheHoople]

“I would rather be ruled by one tyrant 3, 000 miles away, than 3,000 tyrants 1 mile away “- Mel Gibson in The Patriot

[Albion Wilde]

bump