When the American Revolution was over the real fight had
just begun. All of the leaders of that
Revolution were now vying for control of the new, as yet fully formed,
government. While the Federalists papers were being debated in order to
establish a working Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation, new
alliances; as well as divisions; were being drawn between some of our most illustrious patriots.
These divisions were the seeds which would bear the fruit of
Political Parties, just as George Washington warned in his Farewell Address
after leading the new nation through 2 four year terms as its first President.
Ironically, the most bitter of these divisions was the one between George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson. I say ironic, because the split occurred after
Washington had served as President and he and Jefferson would never have to
oppose one another in a political contest.
This split between the two iconic Founding Fathers was based
on Principles, more than on parties. That these differing principles would go
on to inform the basis for those emerging political parties; which both exist in
some form to this very day; lends more than just credence to Washington’s
warning.
Thomas Jefferson was a man ahead of his time. Way ahead of
his time. Most people would cite Richard Nixon as the first President to use
Executive Privilege to stymie the Courts. They would be wrong, it was
Jefferson. Some people would point to more modern Presidents to illustrate a
President overstepping his boundaries in attempting to influence those Courts.
Again, they would be wrong; it was Jefferson in the Impeachment trial of Samuel
Chase and again in the trial of Aaron Burr.
Jefferson believed the Courts were beholden to public opinion
and as such the leading political party should control them. To that end he
impeached Judges who did not fall in line with his own opinions. The
Senate and Congress grew so disillusioned with this former idealist that they
adjourned the night before his second inauguration, leaving him to be
inaugurated with Congress absent.
When it comes to the modern day tax cuts for the rich and
wealthiest Jefferson was way ahead of his time there, too. He had suspended all
taxes when he became President, leaving us fairly defenseless and insuring that
the lower economic classes supported the government disproportionately through high tariffs on imported goods; which the rich could easily pay, but were a
burden to the poorer citizens. This was one of the chief reasons we were willing to abide the seizure of our ships and men by both the British and French for so long. We simply had no money for defense.
Foreign policy wise he claimed to be at peace with the
world; unless you count our ships still being seized by Britain at sea; and paying
a $60,000 tribute to the Pasha Yussef Karamali to release the 300 man crew of
the USS Philadelphia, a U.S. Navy ship which had been seized by the Pasha.
Think about that the next time you sing about the “shores of Tripoli”.
The XYZ Affair; and Jefferson’s love of the French
Revolution were also points of disagreement between Jefferson and the other
Founding Fathers. The duplicity of the French Revolution, and it’s descent into
chaos and ruin were something which he just could not see. He was blinded by
idealism to the point of betraying the very principles on which our own
Revolution had been founded.
There is too much to cover here in a short review. Suffice
to say that once the Revolution was finished, the real work of establishing a
working, long lasting government had just begun. The divisions which informed
this disagreement between two of our most illustrious founding fathers are still with us today.
It is important to consider; when reading this book; that
with the establishment of the United States, the European powers of Spain,
France and England, lost all hopes of ever establishing their own governments
on the North American continent. Had they succeeded in doing so America would
have descended into the patchwork of countries continually at war in Europe for
hundreds of years. Indeed, there would have been no other nation to save Europe; twice in the 20th century alone; as they continued to pull one another apart
over Kings and territory.
The closest we have ever come to such chaos here in America
was in the decades leading up to the Civil War. With many people today echoing
the cry of “States Rights”, it would be wise for many to read this book and
heed the lessons of our own history, which are too often ignored.
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