#RingtheBellsofFreedom #FreedomisaGift


I wonder how many people know how close the colonies were to breaking apart after the Revolution.

The new nation had a tremendous debt after the Revolutionary War, and no way to pay for it.  Why?  The Articles of Confederation required an unanimous agreement to raise taxes for any purpose.  As written over at the Lib, while the former colonies were "United" in having a Congress, had rules under the Articles regarding interstate commerce, and a Treaty with Britain, the new States mostly ignored those rules, and the British, seeing the States united no more were pushing on the frontier, flagrantly violating the treaty.

Debts owed by the Continental Congress to foreign powers were going unpaid, as were the payments to the soldiers that had fought the war.  There would be no rescue by the French, and probably no army to repel the British were they to decide to take their colonies back.  And make no mistake, the British were planning it.

There was a call for delegates to "rework" the Articles.  All the states, with the exception of Rhode Island, responded, and met in Philadelphia in 1787.  James Madison, a delegate from Virginia, had prepared to demonstrate the need for a strong central government.  Actually, it wasn't that hard.  Numerous events with the latest being Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts, had convinced many that it was necessary, so the question was how to create a central government strong enough to enforce laws between the states, ensure individual rights, and to provide a united government on the international scene.  But it was very difficult to arrive at ANY agreement.  They struggled for weeks, with little progress.

The song, "A Gift to Man" from the Threads of Glory production (and included in the upcoming Ring the Bells of Freedom presentation)  details some real suggestions presented during that tumultuous time.  An appeal by Benjamin Franklin in the midst of it helped realign the Congress, and led to the inspiration that became the US Constitution.  Here is the song, with lyrics by Doug Stewart, and the music by the incomparable Lex de Azevedo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxQIzsH_pHY&feature=youtu.be

One piece of information not quoted from the Benjamin Franklin speech was that he reminded the Congress that not a single day passed during the Revolutionary War, that they did not start their day with prayer.  As the summer waned, work was done by committee to avoid having individuals held to account.  This allowed them to speak freely, engaging in the true give and take required to arrive at a consensus.  The checks and balances built in to the Constitution speak to the magnificence of the Constitution.  No rights enumerated in the four pages, intentionally.  The more liberal (in the classic sense) felt that if rights were enumerated, they could be limited to those rights.  Ultimately, passage necessitated the promise of a Bill of Rights by the first Congress.  Madison, in that Congress, delivered in 1791.

September 17 is Constitution Day.  As part of the Ring the Bells of Freedom Celebration, I encourage all, to ring the bells, whatever you may have, at 4 pm, the time that the Constitution was signed by the Congress.  Don't get tangled up in time zones.  Just ring them, 4 pm your place.  And if you are in Kansas City on the 22nd,  there will be the Ring the Bells of Freedom Celebration at the Historic Stone Church in Independence, MO.  .

Freedom is a gift to man.  From God.  We must cherish it and keep it, or we will surely lose it.
#RingtheBellsofFreedom

Information can be found at https://www.americasfamily.org/aff-ring-the-bells-of-freedom

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Peering through the fog.

The opinion is my own, and in no way do I pretend to speak for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Church, to avoid lengthy repetition) Yesterday, November 5, the Salt Lake Tribune (a newspaper not know for sympathy to the church) reported on a change to Handbook 1, which access is limited to Stake Presidencies, and Bishoprics. Never mind that the change was reported through an excommunicated member that some how got access to the book, the PR spokesman for the church confirmed the change.   To sum it up, the church has defined same sex, or gay marriage, as apostasy, and as such, certain conditions are placed on the families, in particular the children.  Children of same sex marriages are not allowed to be named, blessed, or baptized as children.  And when they turn 18, to be baptized, they must not be living in the household, and must disavow the lifestyle.  They must also get permission from the First Presidency of the church.  The last...
Read more

a masterpiece

I received an invitation from a good friend to sing in a choir for an upcoming conference.  Of course, I am kind of a closet groupie for the director and her husband, and so the answer was easy.  But then it became irresistible. My favorite arrangement of my favorite hymn in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' hymnal.  I missed the first rehearsal, but attended tonight, and will next week as well. I would probably walk over broken glass on top of burning coals to sing that song.  Okay, not really, but if memory serves, I think I have sang it in performances one season, my first with the Heartland of America Community Choir and Orchestra, in 2004.  Fourteen years.  Now, those who have had me as a choir director know that as we sang songs I would say this was my favorite, or that one was, but really there is only one favorite. (no don't cue the Highlander music).  Know what it is? The lyrics and music were written by a frequent duo in th...
Read more

December 7, 1941, a day that will live in Infamy. How will yours be? #LIGHTtheWORLD

Seventy Five years ago, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II.  A war that literally spanned the globe.  Hundreds of millions of people with their lives directly impacted.  An attack that its architect knew would doom his homeland, and yet out of duty to country and to his Emperor, planned and executed it. This is very important to understand. While I know that it is extremely unlikely that the actions that I take will impact more than a handful of people, I have come to realize that it is those small interactions, replayed billions of times the world over every day, by billions of people, that make a lasting difference.  It doesn't matter whether we pay attention or not, the mere actions we take do ripple across the world. So much hatred in the world. So much fear.  So much anger.  It was these emotions that resulted in such destruction.  But what can I do?  What difference can I make? Right now...
Read more