Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America

The American Colonist's Library; Primary Source Documents Pertaining to Early American History ^ | 1851 & perhaps earlier | John Adams

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(Source, Charles F. Adams, ed., The Works of John Adams [1851] Vol. 6, p. 3-4)

There have been three periods in the history of England, in which the principles of government have been anxiously studied, and very valuable productions published, which, at this day, if they are not wholly forgotten in their native country, are perhaps more frequently read abroad than at home.

The first of these periods was that of the Reformation, as early as the writings of Machiavel himself, who is called the great restorer of the true politics.  The "Shorte Treatise of Politick Power, and of the True Obedience which Subjects owe to Kyngs and other Civile Governors, with an Exhortation to all True Natural Englishemen, compyled by John Poynet, D. D.," was printed in 1556, and contains all the essential principles of liberty, which were afterwards dilated on by Sidney and Locke. This writer is clearly for a mixed government, in three equiponderant branches, as appears by these words:

"In some countreyes they were content to be governed and have the laws executed by one king or judge; in some places by many of the best sorte; in some places by the people of the lowest sorte; and in some places also by the king, nobilitie, and the people, all together. And these diverse kyndes of states, or policies, had their distincte names; as where one ruled, a monarchie; where many of the best, aristocratie; and where the multitude, democratie ; and where all together, that is a king, the nobilitie, and commons, a mixte state; and which men by long continuance have judged to be the best sort of all.  For where that mixte state was exercised, there did the commonwealths longest continue."

The second period was the Interregnum, and indeed the whole interval between 1640 and 1660. In the course of those twenty years, not only Ponnet and others were reprinted, but Harrington, Milton, the Vindiciae contra Tyrannos, and a multitude of others, came upon the stage.

The third period was the Revolution in 1688, which produced Sidney, Locke, Hoadley, Trenchard, Gordon, Plato Redivivus, who is also clear for three equipollent branches in the mixture, and others without number. The discourses of Sidney were indeed written before, but the same causes produced his writings as did the Revolution.Americans should make collections of all these speculations, to be preserved as the most precious relics of antiquity, both for curiosity and use.

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Why do I say all this? Not to blow my horn but to be able to state that my actions in relation to others has for a very long time now resulted in very positive face to face communications. I am the first to admit that my formal education is limited but in trusting God and seeking his guidance I find things flow rather easily. And if I can do it anyone can. It always seems to be when I try to rely on my own will solely or someone elses direction that I encounter obstacles. Love.

Excellent point, Tim.  Yet the people opposed to our Christian morals based republic would attempt to stifle the free marketplace of ideas.  They do this through "political correctness" in universites, schools, and the media, and through effectively blackballing Christian/moralists in Hollywood.  Even more despicable, they attempt to drown out from our governmental institutions, any historically and intellectually honest relation of our Christian (and by Christian I also mean Judaic) heritage, the very basis of the free society in which we live.  Many means are used, from the very subtle to the very obtuse.

One means has been to focus on a minsconstrued Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin, as opposed to J. & S. Adams, Henry, Mason, Blackstone, etc.; also to ignore the role of everyman's Biblically informed conscience and intellect, and of course the roles of the clergy, while the hew and cry at the time of our Revolution was actually "No king but King Jesus!" as assuredly as it was "No taxation without representation."  Also, in the earlier generation, the leftists and corrupted libertarians focus upon a misconstrued Locke (Locke as Rousseau) vs. Sidney.  Since then, of course the existentialists, materialists... and now the immaterialist "post-modernists."  (Perhaps there is more novelty and controversy with these people; maybe that is the excuse for all the attention.)

But beneath the revisionism is Marxist-style manipulation and control of the public mind.  Hardly the free marketplace of ideas, there.

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Since then, of course the existentialists, materialists... and now the immaterialist "post-modernists."

The materialists and the immaterialists? That just about covers everyone.

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The materialists and the immaterialists? That just about covers everyone.

Thanks, I didn't say that; I said "materialists... and now the immaterialist 'post-modernists.'" Involves a play on words, don'cha know.

That which is most material to our lives is not that which is of the material universe.

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One means has been to focus on a minsconstrued Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin, as opposed to J. & S. Adams, Henry, Mason, Blackstone, etc.

I was remiss to name James Otis here, who some say was a living mentor to Samuel Adams, John Adams, etc.

Here is a link to an "indictment," written by a loyalist in 1781, of James Otis and certain clergy in America, for being the chief instigators of the American Revolution.

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When the founders spoke of "nature's law and nature's God," they were not referring to the libertarian type of natural law as understood today. The natural law they spoke of came from Christian philosophers such as Grotius and Puffendorf and the context was purely Christian. It was later than natural law was changed to mean something else.

Here are some useful links:

From the The American Colonist's Library we have a link to a document reported as follows...

The Principles of Natural Law, J. Burlamaqui, tr. Thomas Nugent (1748, tr. Thomas Nugent 1752) This was the textbook on political theory used at Harvard. It was this book that gave James Otis, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Joseph Warren, and John Adams their understanding of political science.

The Principles of Politic Law, J. Burlamaqui, tr. Thomas Nugent (1748, tr. Thomas Nugent 1752) Sequel to The Principles of Natural Law carrying natural law into constitutional law. Commentary on the ideas of Grotius, Hobbes, Puffendorf, Barbeyrac, Locke, Clarke, and Hutchinson.

Of the Law of War and Peace, Hugo Grotius (1625, Latin) One of the first works on international law.
De Jure Naturae, Samuel Puffendorf (1672, tr. Basil Kennett 1703)

Of course, more may be found elsewhere, including by Web searches.  (The search engine I most often use is ixquick.com.)

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bump because I can

[kitchen]

And a worthwhile bump it was.