Americans who have learned to love the Founders’ Constitution are surely dismayed at the continuing downward spiral of our country as evidenced in the recent elections. And that is not to say that if more Republicans would have won, the downward trend would have been stopped. No party has all the virtue nor all the vice. There were a lot of voices being heard during the campaigns from so many different directions and the decision at the polls is evidence that the voters may not be really sure what they want.
In Arizona, for example, the voters overwhelmingly passed several initiative measures which favored tighter restriction on immigration and yet the voters also elected legislators who were opposed to tighter restrictions on immigration. It is evident there is much confusion and frustration among the country’s electorate. Here are a couple of interesting reactions from quite different perspectives.
On one extreme, the Communist Party USA was pushing hard on its website for a Democratic takeover of Congress. It reads:
On the other hand, Howard Phillips, Chairman of The Conservative Caucus, and former presidential candidate of the Constitution Party observed:
- advocacy of amnesty for illegal aliens,
- failure to enforce existing immigration laws which require penalization of corporations which hire illegal aliens,
- promotion of a North American Union (NAU) scheme to merge the United States with Canada and Mexico,
- historically high subsidies to Planned Parenthood,
- appointment of open homosexuals to key positions,
- massive expansion of the Federal role in education,
- increased funding of the United Nations,
- expansion of foreign aid,
- failure to move forward deployment effectively of a ballistic missile defense,
- budget busting expansion of non-defense Federal spending and massive increases in annual deficits and the overall national debt,
- trade policies which have undermined America’s manufacturing base and placed millions of American jobs at risk,
- approval of anti-family FDA policies such as authority for the distribution of RU-486 and over-the-counter sales of “morning after” contraceptives,
- approval of threats to U.S. civil liberties, including elements of the Patriot Act,
- signing into law the McCain-Feingold election regulation bill in clear violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
“The tragedy is that the Republican Congressional leadership in the House and Senate, by and large, rubber stamped unconstitutional Bush Administration policies, instead of fulfilling responsibilities of oversight and independent judgment as intended by the framers of the U.S. Constitution which made the Legislative Branch of our government primary in our Federal system.
“One can only hope that, during a time of partisan gridlock, Republicans in Congress will manifest a degree of independence from unwise Bush Administration policies and that the President himself will stand against unwise policies of the new Democrat Party majorities in Congress.
“Tragically, during the campaign season just ended, in most parts of the country, conservative voters, in order to manifest their unhappiness, were put in a position of either (a) holding their nose and voting for Republicans with whom they disagreed, (b) staying away from the polls, or (c) voting for imperfect Democratic candidates.
“Fortunately, in some instances, the Democrats put forward candidates who were more conservative than their Republican adversaries and a handful of these candidates were successful on election day.
“My hope is that, as we draw closer to the 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections, Constitutionally faithful candidates not tied to the Bush Administration will receive significant media attention and popular support.”
During the quarreling and heated debating in the Constitutional Convention, the delegates had to be reminded where the real answers to political problems can be found. It is not in the wisdom of men. Perhaps he was acquainted with the scripture in James 1:5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. At a critical point in the Convention, Franklin arouse and eloquently pleaded for prayer. Said he:
“In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard; and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need [His] assistance?
“I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little partial, local interests, our projects will be confounded and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest.
Over the past summer, NCCS distributed to every school in America a little pamphlet containing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States . Since then, schools and other organizations are ordering more of these by the hundreds and thousands. Also contained in this pamphlet are some words of solemn testimony and counsel from George Washington. Is not the following counsel of Washington as applicable to us today as it was in his time?
In 1788, the year the Constitution was ratified, Washington reminded the American people:
“We may, with a kind of pious and grateful exultation, trace the fingers of Providence through those dark and mysterious events which first induced the states to appoint a general convention, and then led them one after another…into an adoption of the system recommended by that general convention, thereby, in all human probability, laying a lasting foundation for tranquility and happiness, when we had but too much reason to fear that confusion and misery were coming rapidly upon us. That the same good Providence may still continue to protect us, and prevent us from dashing the cup of national felicity just as it has been lifted to our lips is my earnest prayer.”
In 1792, as President , he again reminded the American people:
“I am sure there never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe, that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God, who is alone able to protect them.”
In his Second Inaugural Address in 1805, Jefferson reemphasized some of what he had said at the beginning of his first term and added:
“I shall now enter on the duties to which my fellow-citizens have again called me, and shall proceed in the spirit of those principles which they have approved. I fear not that any motives of interest may lead me astray; I am sensible of no passion which could seduce me knowingly from the path of justice, but the weaknesses of human nature and the limits of my own understanding will produce errors of judgment sometimes injurious to your interests. I shall need, therefore, all the indulgence which I have heretofore experienced from my constituents; the want of it will certainly not lessen with increasing years.
“I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life; who has covered our infancy with His providence and our riper years with His wisdom and power, and to whose goodness I ask you to join in supplications with me that He will so enlighten the minds of your servants, guide their councils, and prosper their measures that whatsoever they do shall result in your good, and shall secure to you the peace, friendship, and approbation of all nations.”
It remains an incredible fact to the honest observer that the only true Helper in times of national political peril—the One who was turned to by the Founders for help and guidance in all their political and military trials—the One whom they said has all the right answers when the wisdom of man fails—is the One seldom appealed to or even mentioned in our confusion today and is, in fact, banned from many of our public schools and councils.
It has always seemed somewhat disingenuous to me that some of the same people who promulgated hatred, distrust, and distortion during the campaign season would make such a quick turn-a-bout in the Christmas season that soon follows and proclaim peace on earth and goodwill to their fellow men.
Jefferson said, “Say…whether peace is best preserved by giving energy to the government, or information to the people. This last is the most certain and the most legitimate engine of government. Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and they will preserve them. And it requires no very high degree of education to convince them of this. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” He later added, “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”
It all points to the task ahead and of the great amount of work and teaching that must be accomplished, for there are surely many confused citizens who are still looking for answers and are only kept from the truth because they do not know where to find it.
May your family experience a very merry Christmas this year,
Sincerely,
Earl Taylor, Jr.
PS. In keeping with Jefferson’s desire to educate the people, and recognizing that the request for seminars seems to be growing around the country, if you have a desire to host a seminar or to attend a seminar, please let us know. Also, you may go to our website at www.nccs.net and click on the link to Host a Seminar to see the procedure we would follow in your area.
