Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

The Fourth of July

Happy birthday to the USA! Go enjoy your freedom, family, hot dogs and fireworks this weekend, but do take a minute to reflect on the meaning and glory of this nation, the only nation in the world with the soul of church (G.K. Chesterton). To help you reflect see any one of these documents.

Here is Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence, and his letter Henry Lee, as well as his letter to Roger C. Weightman. Also see Lincoln’s Fragment on the Constitution and Union, as well as Calvin Coolidge’s speech on the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Discussions - 1 Comment

Excellent documents, all. I enjoyed a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Patrick Henry here in Williamsburg. It was read publicly, the way that it was meant to be read, to a large group of assembled Americans. Interrupted by applause several times while reading the document, the crowd then gave an increasingly resounding three cheers each for independence, George Washington and all of our armed forces, and then the triumph of the light of liberty over despotism and tyranny. The eternal truth of those principles was praised by the audience with heartfelt enthusiasm - applause, huzzahs, and yells. I felt as if the crowd knew it was cheering BOTH 1776 and 2004.

I was struck with a disturbing contrast when perusing the New York Times editorials yesterday and came across a mindless political screed by Barbara Ehrenrich trying to compare King George III’s abuses with the supposed ones of President Bush. The editorial was ahistorical to a degree unworthy of the paper of record, offensive to the real abuses to liberty suffered under the king, and an unpatriotic piece of garbage to be published on the Fourth of July.

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