Liberty Letters Quote of the Day, George Washington
In June of 1783, America’s fate swung between the between the extremes of anarchy (because of too much democracy and too little executive power) and tyranny (the natural result of anarchy or the desire to restore order); which led George Washington to observe:
“It is yet to be decided whether the Revolution must ultimately be considered a blessing or a curse.”
The solution was the inspired system of mixed representation, checks and balances, division of powers, vigorous but limited executive power, a bill of rights that said “no” to federal intrusion into those rights, with a common recognition and conviction among the people that many of these rights were the gift of God not government, under The United States Constitution. It was a republic, or as Jefferson described it, “a government of laws, not of men”—the best ever devised.
Washington was a key player through his many letters to his fellow founders in bringing about the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in turn brought us the inspired Constitution that saved the nation.
And so what of today, this hour, in this crisis? What is our response? Shall we in our hour of need look back to history and relearn what the Founders meant by the Constitution, share and promote what we discover with others, and defend it against its detractors?
America’s fate, the fate of liberty, hangs on our individual and collective response.
The Liberty Letters are compiled and edited (with occasional commentary) by The Moral Liberal Editor In Chief, Steve Farrell.
