The cure for the evils of
democracy is more democracy!
H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926
The
proverb goes something along the lines that a journey of a thousand miles
begins with but the first step. The rancor and idiocy emanating from the
political class and their media sycophants seem to blather on about the nature
of what is and what is not constitutional, depending on interpretation and
political expediency.
The
Madison Conservative has decided to provide a primer on the stated purpose of
the Constitution, what the framers and founders clearly, concisely and
specifically had in mind when they began the great experiment in democratic
self-rule.
To
wit:
We the People, of the United
States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general
Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Consider
the line by line intent – the founders and framers had very specific ideas when
they created the greatest document of freedom the world has ever known.
In
that context, and with that understanding, here is the preamble explained:
We the people of the United States...
The
framers were a privileged group of men —among the best and brightest America
had to offer at the time. However, they knew that they were trying to forge a
nation made up not of a select elite but of the common man. Without the
approval of the common man, they feared revolution. This first part of the
preamble speaks to that common man. It puts into writing the notion that the
people were creating this Constitution. It was not handed down by any deity or
by a king—it was created by the people.
...in order to form a more
perfect union...
The
framers were dissatisfied with the United States under the Articles of
Confederation, but they felt that what they had was the best document they
could get up to that time. They strove for something better. The Articles of
Confederation had been a grand experiment that had worked well up to a point,
but less than ten years into that experiment, flaws were showing. The new United States,
under this new Constitution, would be more perfect. Not perfect, but more perfect.
...establish justice...
Injustice,
unfairness in laws and in trade, was of great concern to the people in 1787.
The people looked forward to a nation with a level playing field, where courts
were established with uniformity and where trade within and outside the borders
of the country would be fair.
Today,
we enjoy a system of justice that is one of the fairest in the world. Only
after great struggle can we now say that every citizen has the opportunity for
a fair trial and for equal treatment, and even today discrimination still
exists. We still strive for justice.
...insure domestic tranquility...
One
of the events that caused the convention to be held was the revolt of Massachusetts farmers
known as Shays’ Rebellion. The taking up of arms by war veterans revolting
against the state government was a shock to the framers. Keeping the peace was
on everyone’s mind, and the maintenance of tranquility at home was an important
concern. The framers hoped that the new powers given the federal government would
prevent future rebellions.
...provide for the common
defence...
The
new nation was fearful of attack from all sides. No single state was capable to
defend itself. With a wary eye on Britain
and Spain,
the individual states needed each other to survive the harsh international
politics of the 18th century.
...promote the general welfare...
This,
and the subsequent part of the preamble, are the culmination of everything that
came before it—the whole point of having tranquility, justice and defense was to
allow every state and every citizen to benefit from what the government could
provide. The framers looked forward to the expansion of land holdings, industry
and investment and knew that a strong national government would be the
beginning of that.
...and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity...
Hand
in hand with the general welfare, the framers looked forward to the blessings
of liberty—something they had all fought for just a decade before. They wanted
to create a nation that would resemble something of a paradise for liberty as
opposed to the tyranny of a monarchy: a place where citizens could look forward
to being free as opposed to looking out for the interests of a king.
...do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United
States of America.
The
final clause of the preamble is almost anti-climactic, but it is important for
a few reasons. First it finishes the ‘‘We, the people” thought, saying what the
people are actually doing. It gives a name for the document and it restates the
name of the nation. That the Constitution is ‘‘ordained” reminds those reading
the preamble of the higher power involved—not just of a single person or a
king.
That
is it ‘‘established” reminds us that it replaces that which came before—the United States
under the Articles of Confederation, a point lost on us today, but quite
relevant at the time.
This
primer was but the first step on the thousand mile journey of democracy that we must continue to
travel today if America
is to remain free.
God
Bless America!
The
Madison Conservative will return in two weeks to accommodate the July 4th
holiday.
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