Standing with the Constitution

THE RELATIONSHIP OF FREEDOM AND TRUE KNOWLEDGE

Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.  –Benjamin Franklin

The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were held in strict secrecy.  Consequently, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors.  The answer was provided immediately.  A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”  With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

What do you think Benjamin Franklin meant by those words?

Centrally involved in the process that resulted in The Declaration of Independence and the creation of The Constitution of the United States, Franklin understood natural law which is the belief which holds that rights exist in nature and are not granted to individuals by anyone or any government.

Our nation was established on the foundation of natural law.  Expressed in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident:  that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights:  that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness:  that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

We live in a world where freedom is not guaranteed.  Liberty is fragile and can be lost.  A constitutional republic, like ours, can quite naturally become wicked and corrupted and evolve into tyranny and dictatorship.

By applying the conditional, “if you can keep it,” Franklin was saying that only individuals can secure and maintain their liberty. If we the people do not uphold natural law and remain “ever vigilant” in watching our government, the rule of law, society, and government itself will break down in the face of abusive practices.

The Constitution is an outgrowth, in practical terms, of man’s desire to protect the principle of freedom; our personal ability to choose.  Constitutional, or higher, law undertakes to protect that principle by defining the role and limits of civil authority.

As to what kind of ideas the Founders subscribed to, Franklin noted, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” Putting forth another idea on which our Republic was founded, James Madison wrote, “We have staked the whole future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, and to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God.” The Ten Commandments are the basis and fundamental principles of all law, just, and legal administration that should govern the human family. 

Far from being an establishment of religion, this very practical approach to self-government places political power in the hands of the people through a system built on trust.  Madison knew that reverence for God, regard for others, and respect for property inspires adherence to a high moral law that transcends the constraints of civil and criminal codes.

As a body, the Founding Fathers subscribed to the belief that “human passions unbridled by morality and religion” would lead people away from the voluntary fulfillment of responsibilities based upon morality to costly legal enforcement of rights compelled by legislation, litigation, and oppression because they understood that personal freedom yields to the power of government. They comprehended in the abstract what sports and music teach us about rules, out of bounds, and out of tune.

In 1987, an exhaustive study was conducted to determine the sources of the ideas that influenced the Founding Fathers.  In a remarkable conclusion, it was determined that of the thousands of citations quoted to support their ideas, 34 percent came from one source–the Bible.  Most of these were from the book of Deuteronomy, which is the Book of God’s law.

With the importance of the Bible’s influence on the Framers in mind, recommitting to the Ten Commandments is a good starting point in our quest to Stand with the Founding Fathers.

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Thou shalt not covet. 

The Founders were highly qualified and educated men–the best and the brightest of their time.  They were deeply read in the facts of history; they were learned in the forms and practices and systems of the governments of the world, past and present; they were, in matters political, equally at home in Rome, in Athens, in Paris, and in London; they had a long, varied, and intense experience in the work of governing their various Colonies.

With no known exception among them, they were united in their belief, as expressed by James Madison, “A well instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.”

As such, they should be our inspiration.