This material is copyrighted. Feel free to copy and distribute. However, copy it only in it’s entirety.
Kevin Kraut
MEN
AND
MONUMENTS
OF
FREEDOM
by
OGDEN
KRAUT
[5] LIBERTY
HIGHEST AIM OF GOVERNMENT
The American Constitution and the principle of liberty have never been understood by the intellectuals of Europe. Individualism, founded in the freedom of the mind, speech, worship, and the press, is not their interpretation of emancipation.
For thousands of years the individual has been considered the property of kings, dynasties, dictators, or the state. The labor of men has usually been obtained by the whip and chains, his money exploited by taxation, and his mind fettered by a labyrinth of laws, regulations, and decrees.
It was through the oppression of body and spirit that men moved to America for free expression of their labor and worship. The Constitution was forged as a standard of freedom for the oppressed of all other lands. This banner became more precious than life itself. It has taken many centuries for oppressors to learn a simple economic lesson that the mind cannot expand or properly function under compulsion. Man’s mind, unlike that of animals, must think to survive, and by the law of nature, he must have freedom to do so. Any man who cannot, who is unwilling or is prohibited from free thinking, will soon wither away, internally if not externally.
[6]Many Americans are losing sight of the virtues of the freedoms that built America. Many alien voices are telling us that the Constitution is an “outdated” document—”an old rag to be discarded”—and that it is “unfitted” to our modern society of progressive thinking.” These alien voices are singing the same tune as the immoralists and the criminals who contend that the Ten Commandments are also “outdated.”
The New Liberal, with his European indoctrination, tells us that Socialism, Communal Rights, and Communism are advanced forms of government. The theory that “the people are the state” sounds “humanitarian,” but in reality people are still slaves to the state! This popular theory only changed the concept from man’s being a slave to a king, to man’s being a slave to the state. “Progressive” thinkers are introducing slavery in new, glorified terms.
When Kruschev visited America, he attempted to advocate the idea that man was progressing from “Slavery to Capitalism and from Capitalism to Communism.” He was so busy beating the drum of Communism that he failed to understand that his bandwagon had shifted into reverse. Communism is slavery.
[7]
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IS NONE OTHER THAN THE
PROGRESS OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF FREEDOM.
- W. Hegel
Philosophy of History
[9] THOMAS PAINE
AND THAT CELESTIAL ARTICLE
In the darkness by a small campfire, the tall slender form of a man bent over a drumhead to write upon a scrap of paper. It was a cold winter night and weary troops huddled nearby, catching a few moments of sleep. The man with the pen was dedicated to an unusual mission directed from the commander in chief of this pitiful garrison. His troops had empty stomachs, their arsenals were nearly bare of guns and ammunition, and the snow was imprinted with blood from the soldiers’ shoeless feet.
The commander of this destitute army was George Washington; the penman was Thomas Paine. They were sharing the heartbreaking days of retreat across New Jersey. The revolution seemed lost as morale in soldiers and citizens alike fell to its lowest ebb. The enemy seemed unconquerable and Colonel Joseph Reed wrote to Washington: “Something must be done quickly or we must give up the cause.” History was being made as the spirit and ideals of America were flowing through the pen of Thomas Paine.
Paine had fast become a champion for freedom, as he sparked new courage and hope at every crisis in the war. “We fight, not [10] to enslave, but to set a country free,” he wrote. He called for a declaration of independence; he vigorously opposed all forms of monarchy; and he made the first appeal for an American Republic. He vowed that North America should become a haven of refuge for oppressed people the world over.
Something new and refreshing was in his words. Both colonists and soldiers were caught up in the light of a new found faith in a new found land. While Washington’s men lacked food, clothes, arms and numbers, they were becoming fortified with a courageous faith that only men who fight for freedom can ever enjoy.
Christmas Eve, 1776, and Washington was reading Paine’s message to his troops. The ragged Continentals listened intently to the opening words of the pamphlet, “The American Crisis.” It began:
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows [11] how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”
Those words had more than the desired effect. With a new light and courage, the troops moved across ice floes, through a blizzard and on to battle the Hessian troops at Trenton. That march was the historic victory of the Continentals and became the turning point in the war.
The words of Paine were found in the pockets of the dead and on the lips of the dying. The Continentals had found something more precious than life—they were inhaling the first breath of freedom in America!
* * * * *
[13] THANKSGIVING DAY
GRATITUDE FOR FREEDOM
The Thanksgiving of today is a paradox to that one of 1621!
The Pilgrims who came to America made no small sacrifice to gain passage to this land. First, they had to obtain ship fare, tools for building homes and farms, and food for a year—all with the knowledge that they would live in a wilderness country among hostile savages. And what was the reason for such sacrifices? To escape from the tyrannies of excessive government and religious persecution!
They landed with gratitude and began their first house on Christmas Day, but work was stopped by the heavy snows of a blizzard. Their first winter was tragic. With little food and an epidemic of sicknesses, they lost more than half of their numbers. Once only six members were well enough to care for the others. Dead bodies had to be buried at night to prevent the Indians from knowing how weak their colony had become. In 2 1/2 years the Jamestown Colony had dwindled from 500 to only 60.
For many years there was a New England custom of placing five kernels of corn at [14] each plate, in memory of that first winter when food was so scarce that five kernels of corn was all that could be doled out.
A friend in England wrote a letter to the remaining members of the colony:
“Let it not be grievious to you that you have been instruments to break the ice for others; the honor shall be yours till the world’s end.”
Those Pilgrims inspired the Puritans—and they then inspired others to make the journey to America. The sacrifice, the struggles and the love of freedom grew until those freedoms were guaranteed by the laws of a new born constitution.
The Pilgrims’ faithful leader and governor, William Bradford, once wrote that “thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand…and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shown unto many.”
With the first harvest the Pilgrims offered a divine thanks. They invited 90 Indians, among whom was Chief Massasoit. The Indians and the Pilgrims forgot their differences, and they joined in a three-day celebration on that October of 1621. It was the first Thanksgiving celebration in America, and the beginning of an American heritage
[15]July 30, 1623, was set aside as a Thanksgiving Day by Governor Bradford.
The Revolutionary War saw eight special days of thanks observed for victories and protection from certain perils.
November 26, 1789, became a day of Thanksgiving by a proclamation from President Washington. Some states hereafter observed it as a holiday, while others did not.
In 1863 President Lincoln (greatly influenced by the 30-year efforts of Mrs. Sarah J. Hale) appointed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving.
In 1939, President Roosevelt made a change in Thanksgiving, as he did with so many other American traditions. He wanted it celebrated a week earlier, and as a result there was confusion over the exact date for a few years.
In 1941 Congress ruled that the fourth Thursday of November would be the national Thanksgiving holiday.
It was in the year 1855 that Governor Bradford’s private journal was discovered in a library in England. It revealed the religious persecutions of his Pilgrim Colony in England, their journey to America, and the many struggles they had to overcome. To Bradford, Thanksgiving was more than a holiday or a stuffed stomach.
[16]Thanksgiving was meant to be a time of reflection and gratitude and “praise to our beneficient Father” as Lincoln once said. This was a day set aside for remembering the heritage we have been entrusted with, realizing the sacrifices of others for what we now enjoy, and for giving thanks for the abundance of this land. Here is a land that is free, a country never overrun by an enemy, a nation established to allow us to speak, write and live as we please. This land has produced a greater abundance of wealth, contributed more knowledge in science, and advanced faster in every other way than any other nation on earth.
But this year at Thanksgiving we will look back upon recent strikes for higher pay and less working hours, rioting and killing throughout every major city, gambling dens, bombing of public buildings, hijacking, kidnapping, pornography, dope, communal love, and the traitorous corrupting of politics. We live in an irreligious generation which has groveled in corruption and multiplied crime. Most Americans of today are different from those in 1621.
Very few of these modern Americans can or will gratefully bow their heads in thanksgiving.
* * * * *
[17]AND THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM BRADFORD
BY THE GRACE OF GOD TO-DAY,
AND THE FRANCHISE OF THIS GOOD PEOPLE,
GOVERNOR OF PLYMOUTH, SAY –
THROUGH VIRTUE OF VESTED POWER—
YE SHALL GATHER WITH ONE ACCORD,
AND HOLD IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER,
THANKSGIVING UNTO THE LORD.
Margaret J. Preston
First Thanksgiving Day
[19] NATHAN HALE
A LIFE FOR LIBERTY
A crowd pushed and shoved to get a better look at the 21-year-old blue-eyed boy who stood on a British Army wagon in front of the Old Dove Tavern. The sun hallowed the boy’s golden hair; he was so young—so handsome, but now he was standing before British executioners.
It was September 22, 1776, and the place was 66th Street and 3rd Avenue in New York City. A red uniformed guard stepped forward and centered a rope about the boy’s neck. Major Cunningham denied the lad’s request for a Bible, and then he destroyed the last letter this young man would ever write. “Have you anything to say?” Cunningham barked. The lad stood calm. “Nothing,” he replied, “except that I regret I have but one life to give for my country.”
A whip snapped across a horse and the army wagon lurched forward from under the boy. Almost instantly Nathan Hale was dead. Hale died the death of scores of other spies—but he spoke the words that every patriot of freedom feels within his heart. For this he became the foremost martyr of American liberty.
[20]Nathan Hale was one of twelve children; he was athletic, but of a pious mind. He was a graduate from Yale University and then became an excellent teacher. When he entered the Revolutionary War, he received his commission and was soon made a captain. Under his leadership they captured a small supply ship from under British guns, which won for him recognition in a small group called the Rangers. These Rangers had already distinguished themselves for daring and dangerous missions.
When General Washington came to the Rangers, he asked for volunteers to pass through British lines and gain information on British positions. At first there was no response. On his second request Nathan Hale volunteered.
Hale pretended to be a Dutch schoolmaster and made his way behind British lines. He obtained the necessary information; but as he was returning to the American lines, he was captured. It is reported that Hale’s own cousin, a British loyalist, had betrayed him. When he was taken before the British commander, General William Howe, the sentence of death was passed upon this valiant young man.
There have been but few men who have regarded honest principles and freedom above the price of their own lives. Those few noble heroes of the past have left more than the stains of their blood—they have left an [21] honorable example for others to follow. No finer heritage could we ask—no lesson in life of greater value than the example of nobility we read in the lives of those great Americans.
But in America today we are mass producing leeches on our society who demand so much, offer so little, and cry that they would rather be Red than dead. Their lives are leaving an example of shame and disgrace to all Americans. Today we must choose to follow the example of patriotic men like Nathan Hale, or else support these liberal rebels of welfarism.
* * * * *
[23] STARS AND STRIPES
OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE
The most important buildings in Washington were being burned by the British Army. It was August 24, 1814, and the British admiral who brought the troops boasted that Baltimore would be destroyed next. Meanwhile in Baltimore, Widow Pickersgill with the help of her 12-year-old daughter, was hastily stitching together one of the largest American flags ever made. She selected the floor of a local brewery to do her work, as it was the only place large enough to accommodate this massive banner. Far into the night by the light of candles the two seamstresses labored to prepare the flag that would fly over Fort McHenry—the next target of the British army.
The new flag with 15 stripes and 15 stars was raised over the fort while a little sailing ship carrying a white flag slipped out into the harbor towards the British navy. Aboard this ship were Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer, and John Skinner, who were on a mission by order of President Madison to beg for the release of Dr. William Beans, a prisoner held by the British. Within a few days this tiny crew was overwhelmed to find an armada of the British navy consisting of nearly 70 ships. The British [24] agreed to release the doctor, but not until after they had made their attack on Baltimore.
For six days the tiny craft was towed by the British as they sailed towards Fort McHenry. On Sunday morning, September 12, under cover of darkness, hundreds of British troops were sent ashore; then by the first light of morning, the navy guns opened fire on the fort. All day and all night the British blasted the fort—fires and billowing smoke poured upwards as the air thundered and the ground quaked from the bursts of British heavy guns. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, all became quiet. Key strained his eyes into the darkness but could see nothing. He paced the deck—had the fort surrendered? Impatiently he waited. Finally dawn shed its light over the fort—the American flag was still there!
Key and his friends rejoiced while tears streamed down their faces. When the British troops returned to their ships, Francis Scott Key drew out an envelope from his pocket and began to scribble the feelings of his heart.
Key, Skinner and Beans boarded their tiny ship and sailed for the harbor to celebrate at the Old Fountain Inn. When the others retired from the celebration, Key began to put into verse the words he had written on his envelope. Finally, with tired eyes he finished his work, lay the pen across the paper, and went to sleep. Little did he know then that someday that piece of paper would be sold for $24,000.
[25]The next day Key showed his poem to his brother-in-law, Judge J. N. Nicholson, who was so impressed that he took it to a printer to be printed on handbills. Newspapers soon printed the poem and changed the title from “Defense of Fort McHenry” to “The Star Spangled Banner.” It was published in song books and was sung by soldiers in the trenches, at tavern celebrations, and by housewives. Key was pleased to see the popularity of his verse and was not bothered that his name seldom appeared as the author.
Francis Scott Key felt certain that the popularity of his verse would soon diminish; and thirty years later as he was dying, he still felt that the popularity of his poem would pass away with him. But, on March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill that made “The Star Spangled Banner” the official anthem of the United States of America.
It was during these crucial years that liberty was so costly—bought with sweat, tears and blood—but freedom was more precious than life. These were the labor pains in giving birth to freedom in America, and that sacrifice was symbolized in the stars and stripes.
In 1782 Congress designated red, white, and blue as the United States colors: red for courage, white for purity, and blue for justice. Each star was to represent a state.
[26]Today, many of the youth in America do not understand the miseries of tyranny, nor the pain of slavery; and in their ignorance they have spit on the flag, stomped it into the ground, or burned it. In their foolishness, they have paraded the Viet Cong flag through the nation’s capitol.
Many Americans have forgotten the price that was paid to raise the stars and stripes and to keep it raised. Too soon we are forgetting what is symbolized in the red, white, and blue!
* * * * *
[27] HER FLAG
THE STRONG, ORACULAR EMBLEM OF HER WILL,
THE SPANGLED CLOTH OF PEACE—THE BLOODY RAG,
ABOVE EMBATTLED GULCH AND SMOKING HILL,
LIKE FREEDOM NAILED IN PAIN AGAINST THE SKY.
Russell Wheeler Davenport
My Country
[29] SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION
LIVES OF SACRIFICE
Fifty-six men willingly signed their names to the Declaration of Independence beneath the words, “We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our freedoms, and our sacred honor.”
Most Americans little realize the sacrifice those noble men offered on that awesome altar. Most history books fail to explain the sacrifices they willingly pledged for the price of independence and freedom. There was much they stood to loose. Nearly every man who signed that document was a man of considerable wealth and social position. Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists; eleven were merchants; nine were farmers and plantation owners. Yet they signed with the knowledge that if they were captured, they would be hung.
One man, Charles Carroll, a millionaire, wanted to make sure they didn’t hang another man by the same name so he included his home town. Carter Braxton, a sea merchant, helplessly watches the British wipe out his ships. He died in rags after selling his home and property to pay his debts.
The British took over the home of Thomas [30] Nelson, and he unhesitatingly ordered General Washington to open fire and destroy it. Nelson died bankrupt.
Thomas McKean was hunted by the British and was forced to continually move his family like a vagabond—all this while he served in the Continental Congress without pay. He also died in poverty.
Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Rutledge, and Middleton, all saw their homes and property looted and taken by the British army. Francis Lewis saw his home destroyed. Then his wife died a few months after she was jailed.
John Hart was driven from his home and his sick wife’s bedside. He watched his grist mill and fields go up in flames. For nearly a year he lived in the woods; and when he returned, he learned that his wife had died and his 13 children had vanished. Within weeks he died of exhaustion and a broken heart.
Those were brave men. Those were the heroes of America. They lit a light—the spirit of freedom which has beckoned to every nation on earth. Their sacred honor shall stand the test of time, and those names shall ever be honored by all those who love the liberties of independence.
* * * * *
[31] MINE HONOUR IS MY LIFE;
BOTH IN ONE;
TAKE HONOUR FROM ME,
AND MY LIFE IS DONE.
Shakespeare
King Richard II
[33] MOUNT VERNON
WASHINGTON’S HOME
Fifteen miles from Washington D. C. stands the impressive building of Mount Vernon, which was the home and now the tomb of George Washington. Originally it was his brother’s home and at the age of 15 George moved into it; then when he was 21, he inherited it. At this same time, came a call to join the king’s colonial army fighting the French and Indians. When Washington returned, he brought Martha, his new bride, with him. They enjoyed many guests both travelers and neighbors—and neighbors were considered anyone within a day’s journey.
The home needed enlarging, repairs, and beautification. George had plans to place large columns along the front from the roof to the ground. It was 1773 when the new wings began construction, but excessive taxations of the king hindered many building projects. By 1775 the colonists asked Washington to lead the colonial cause against the unjust oppressions of the king.
For a second time Washington rode away from Mount Vernon, but with dearer attachments than before. Although Washington was away, the glow of the hearth fires and the warm hospitality of the household continued [34] to greet and comfort many more friends and neighbors. His home was to have an unusual mission in the Revolutionary War. Soldiers would notice Washington laboring on plans for remodeling and expanding Mount Vernon, while civilians watched them being carried out. As hope in the fight for independence grew dimmer, everyone watched to see if work at Mount Vernon would stop. So, as the work continued at Washington’s home, there was hope for victory. Washington’s home became a measure of his faith in the future.
After eight long and wearisome years, the master again returned home. His faith was now rewarded—he became the first citizen of America. And it was while living in his stately mansion that he received word that he had been elected as president of the United States. After that, his home was visited by world reknown politicians, historians, and other foreign dignitaries. This palacial home became a symbol of the faith of the Father of his Country.
* * *
That home, that symbol, still stands. Inside are the lamps, the spyglass, the marble mantle, the four-poster bed, and even the flute that Washington never had time to learn to play. Little wonder that ships traveling the Potomac lower their flags to half mast as they pass and pay tribute to a noble man and his stately home.
[35]Now the words of “Revolution” are again heard throughout the land of America; but they come from anarchists who would destroy all that Washington and the colonists struggled to achieve. We are undergoing another national crisis wherein darkness, lawlessness and crime are sowing the seeds of destruction. Men of integrity must now step to the front as the father of their country did, sharing in the same hope of victory and with faith in the destiny of America. Once again America must prevail over her enemies, foreign and domestic, that the light of freedom can again shine to all nations.
* * * * *
[37] JOHN ADAMS
FATHER OF THE REVOLUTION
Not many Americans have ever accomplished so much and received so little credit as did John Adams. It was really he, not George Washington, that was the father of this country. It has been said that “Adams conceived the infant, and Washington saved its life.” The cause of American liberty would have been delayed a decade, possibly 100 years, without the efforts of John Adams.
As a businessman, he was a failure. His father gave him $5,000 to start a business, but it vanished. Again and again his business efforts were losing ventures. By the time he was 45, many had given him up as a complete failure. His shabby clothes and lack of assets marked the trials and difficulties of his life.
But deep inside Adams were invaluable talents of genius. He was like a lightbulb that needed only a current to cast precious light. When Adams captured a glimpse of America’s chance for independence, he became a new creature. Then came the spark that touched off his hidden genius of organizing others and turning out a floodgate of political propaganda.
Adams exploded the depredations of the [38] British soldiers. Their acts of disrupting church meetings, their drunken brawls, their conduct of rape and prostitution, and their sacking of private homes, all met the blast of Adams, the master exploiter. With these evils of the soldiers, he created unrest, if not anger, among the American people. With the exactness of a baker preparing his bread, Adams was creating the American revolution. He mixed, molded, and shaped all of the events into this desired result. Then he raised the temperature of the Americans to perfect his creation.
At the Boston Massacre, Adams jumped into action. He employed Paul Revere, the engraver, to portray a cartoon with British soldiers shooting down innocent citizens. Thousands of copies were sent to all 13 colonies. Then he wrote “A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre in Boston,” which he published and sent all over England. Other deeds of the British soldiers received the same brandishments.
John Adams was the leading spokesman for American independence. He continually made speeches and poured out writings. He headed patriots into rebellion at Boston, and he organized the Boston Tea Party. He helped the British to abandon a policy of compromise; and, of course, he signed the Declaration of Independence.
Adams was a member of the First Continental Congress until 1781. He was later [39] made governor of Massachusetts from 1793 to 1797—leading up to his becoming president of the country he helped make free.
If his life taught us anything, it should have left us with an understanding of what the word “revolution” should stand for. Adams spent every means and every effort to revolt against tyranny, exploit evil, and establish freedom. Today the teeming thousands of revolutionaries fail to understand that their efforts for “revolution” are the breeding grounds for international Communists. Adams revolted against oppression; but today’s revolutionaries are for it!
* * * * *
[41] STATUE OF LIBERTY
MONUMENT AND PRINCIPLE
In Paris, just slightly more than a hundred years ago, a small but important group of Frenchmen met at the home of the noted professor and writer, Edouard de Laboulaye. With earnest enthusiasm Laboulaye talked of a monument that should be built as a symbol of the liberty which the Americans and the French have loved so well. “It should be a project combining the efforts of both nations,” Laboulaye said. He spoke with much feeling as he reiterated the stories of the French and Americans who fought side by side during the Revolutionary War for independence.
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi listened intently to the impressive words. He was a young sculptor, and to him was to be given the task of designing this international colossus. It would be a token of friendship between the two countries and a symbol of freedom for all nations. Bartholdi’s first assignment would be to go to America and announce the news of this new undertaking, and then select a site for its construction. As his ship neared the New York Harbor, his eyes caught a glimpse of Bedloe Island. “That’s the spot for my statue,” he remarked, as he sketched a figure of a woman on a scrap of paper. “It will be the largest [42] statue ever built, and I will name it `Liberty, enlightening the world,'” he declared.
Returning to Paris, Bartholdi went immediately to his good friend Alexandre Eiffel, architect of the massive Eiffel Tower, and asked him if he would build the framework for his statue. First they must build a smaller model—36 feet high. Curious Parisians watched the growth of this massive statue, as it towered above the housetops. After its completion, this twin-sister miniature model of the Statue of Liberty was placed on a bridge in Paris that crosses the Seine. It can still be seen there today.
The large arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York in 1876. Over a million people came by to see the statue’s fingers—larger than a man. Everyone supposed it was going to be anew kind of lighthouse. In 1878 the head arrived and was pulled by twelve horses to the world’s fair.
Finally on July 4, 1884, the completion and the acceptance ceremony took place. It had been difficult for the Americans to gather enough money to build the pedestal, which surprisingly cost more than the statue. The President of the United States appointed Senator Evart to speak at the dedication; then when signaled, Bartholdi—who was up in the torch—was to cut the large tri-color banner which draped the statue. During a patriotic expression by Evart, the crowd clapped and cheered; Bartholdi thought it [43] was his signal, and down came the big banner. Ships in the harbor saw it fall and began to blow their whistles. These signalled the cannons to fire, and then the band began to play. No one heard the end of the speech.
The massive graceful lady, whose flowing robe reached to her feet, stood 305 feet from the torch to the base of the pedestal, and has become the largest statue ever built. The statue has a copper overlay on iron and weighs nearly a half million pounds, and cost over a half-million dollars. The tablet in her hand is inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence. The crown on her head emits rays of sun—symbolic of the light of liberty reflecting to all nations—more clearly illustrated at night when great floodlights illuminate her for miles in the darkness. Few people ever notice the shackles that lay broken at her feet, and Americans today would do well to look back upon the shackles of tyranny that were broken for the birth of liberty in America.
In 1903 a poem by Emma Lazarus, entitled “New Colossus,” was inscribed on the pedestal, part of which reads;
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
[44]In 1924 Congress changed the name of Bedloe Island to Liberty Island, and the Statue of Liberty became a national monument.
On February 17, 1965, a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty was stopped. The hero on this occasion was a 31-year-old Negro policeman who had only been on the force for ten months. Working inside the Black Liberation Front, a Pro-Castro and Pro-Red China terrorist group, he prevented the destruction of this internationally famous statue. One member of this seditious group was an attractive girl announcer, who was well known for her affiliation with the United Nations. She was given a five-year sentence; the others were given ten, and one of the suspects hung himself in prison.
But more dangerous than the few who attempted to destroy this grand symbol of liberty, are the numerous and insidious traitors who are destroying the PRINCIPLES OF LIBERTY!
* * * * *
[45]THEY THAT CAN GIVE UP ESSENTIAL LIBERTY TO
OBTAIN A LITTLE TEMPORARY SAFETY, DESERVE
NEITHER LIBERTY OR SAFETY.
Ben Franklin
Historical Review of Pennsylvania
[47] BENEDICT ARNOLD
A NAME OF TRAITORS
In some way every man’s life is an example for others. For good or bad, his deeds may prove to be a moral guidepost. Benedict Arnold was not an exception, for his name (like that of Judas Iscariot) became synonymous with the word “traitor.” Once a most trusted and admired man and soldier, he became the most famous traitor in American history.
At the age of 14 he ran away from home; then after joining the French and Indian War, he deserted the Army but was excused because of his youth. In 1775 during the Revolutionary War he became a colonel and shared command with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Ticonderoga. Afterwards he led a thousand men into Canada with General Montgomery; and though the attack was unsuccessful, his courage won for him the honor of brigadier general. In 1776 he again displayed outstanding courage during a naval battle on Lake Champlain. However, in 1777 when Congress appointed five new major generals, all younger than Arnold, his disappointment made him determined to quit the Army, but Washington convinced him to stay. It was not until he was wounded in the second battle of Saratoga that he was promoted to major general.
[48]Military experts, despite their patriotic indignation, admit that Arnold was a genius in warfare and possessed superior qualities of courage and personality.
Once when General Gates planned to remain within his fort while the British were moving in for an attack with their heavy artillery, Arnold devised a plan to meet the British in the woods with a surprise counterattack. Arnold’s men caught the enemy off guard, and the woods provided ample protection while they picked off the Red Coats.
Again when Arnold was outnumbered at Fort Stanwix, he persuaded a Dutchman to move into the British lines and spread rumors among the Indians of the perils that would be upon them if the Americans captured them fighting with the British. This plan worked wonders and spread terror into the fleeing Indians, forcing the British to evacuate.
During the second battle at Saratoga, Arnold was in a heated frenzie over a dispute with General Gates. He took out his revenge on the British by leading his men into battle—swearing, shooting, and shouting commands. He was like a madman galloping headlong into the enemy. By some strange miracle he escaped being cut to pieces by enemy crossfire as he charged into their lines. The British General Frazer fell with many of his men; then Arnold pounded into Breyman’s Hessians, destroying many of them and Breyman, too. But then Arnold fell—[49]his leg broken by a ball, which was to leave him partially crippled for the rest of his life.
Arnold was made the military governor of Philadelphia, but the banquet celebrations and social parties became more vulnerable to Arnold’s weaknesses than the thunder of battle. Members of Congress and rich patriots lavished in luxury and booze—Arnold relished these. Then through the glitter of these ballrooms danced Peggy Shippen, that gay blue-eyed beauty who was to cause more consternation to the American cause than all the intrigue of spies, heavy artillery fire, and the clashing of swords. She was a materialist who was taught the love of wealth by her Tory father. It was written that “Arnold, the fine sensualist, the connoisseur of beauty, had found the lady of his dreams. Peggy, the sensationalist, the connoisseur of advantages, had found her hero.”
So with their marriage, the curtain rose on one of the most personal intrigues of drama in the American Revolution. Wealth and prestige provided the required fuel to keep this romance aflame. When they could not attend social entertainments with great pomp and ceremony, Peggy would throw a fit. She dreamed of Dukedom, the honors of the king, and a celebrated life in England.
Talk and gossip buzzed about Arnold’s extravagant conduct and ambitions; then the army became involved when he began using [50] military personnel for his servants. He was court martialed and reprimanded for using poor judgment in his conduct. This situation together with Washington’s refusal to let him become admiral of the Navy, sent him into deep depression and bitterness. He brooded over the ingratitude of his countrymen. Peggy listened to his sad tale of woe and decided to help his aspiring ambitions. She corresponded with the British officers John Andre and Sir Henry Clinton. For sixteen months Arnold added to the letters and eventually proposed a plan to turn over West Point with all of its stores, artillery and personnel for 20,000 pounds sterling. The British accepted and Benedict had sold himself.
When Arnold asked Washington for command of West Point, his request was granted. The British sent John Andre—posing as John Anderson, a merchant—to receive the plans for the betrayal of West Point. Andre headed back towards the British lines. But the roads were infested with plundering bandits who lived off the spoils of war. Three of these thugs, John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart little dreamed that the prize they would find that night would live as a monument in America’s history. Paulding, wearing a stolen British uniform (the only clothes he owned) stopped Andre’s horse. Andre declared that he was a “British officer on a secret errand.” That was a fatal speech, for he was searched and Arnold’s conspiracy papers were found in his boots. “You’re a [51] spy!” they yelled, Andre was immediately taken to Colonel Jameson, who in turn notified Washington, who quickly set out for West Point to warn them of the betrayal. Benedict Arnold had already fled.
The British made him brigadier in the King’s Army and Arnold led expeditions that burned Richmond, Virginia, and New London, Connecticut. But Arnold became an embittered man, vengeful and hardened. Even British soldiers had no respect for him; and when he went to England in 1781, he was scorned and distrusted. His later years were spent as a merchant, but he became burdened with debt and remorse and died without honors.
Today many thousands of Americans tred in the footsteps of Benedict Arnold. From out of the filthy slums as well as the mansions of aristocrats, creeps this undesirable scum of cunning Communists. These sly traitors are endeavoring to sell out, not just West Point like their brother Benedict, but the whole of America. There is one lesson that these modernized traitors have failed to learn from the pages of the past—that once a man proves traitor to his country, he can never be trusted again by ANYONE. The Communists, who have used traitors in every country they have overtaken, have learned this lesson well. As soon as a nation is taken over by Communism, the first citizens to face the firing squad are those traitors who betrayed their country. There never was nor ever will be any honor for those who betray the cause of liberty!
[53] LIBERTY BELL
RINGS ONLY LIBERTY
In 1751 the chairman of the Philadelphia State House arose with a suggestion to purchase a large bell to be placed in their steeple. The idea was accepted, and they agreed to have a bell that was larger than any other bell in the 13 colonies. But a major problem arose—no one in America could make one that large. The order for a 2000 pound bell was sent to London with a request that it be inscribed with the quotation from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof.”
Finally a ship from London called “The Matilda” came into port with the mammoth bell. A large frame was built on the State House lawn so all could see it before it was placed in the steeple. A grand celebration was prepared and finally the bellringer stepped forward and raised the clapper. A loud clear tone permeated the air with a deep resonant luster. The crowd cheered. Again it rang and the people exulted. Then the third time, the bell clapper struck a deep thud. The bell cracked!
An iron foundry nearby attempted to remold and recast it. They added more copper [54] to strengthen it, as the sound of a bell is made according to the amount of tin or copper. For the second time a grand celebration was held with a feast on the State House lawn. The bellringer swung the clapper, and the bell rang with such a high pitched tone that they knew it would have to be recast again.
For the third time the bell was brought to the State House—but this time without a celebration. For the next several years the bell rang for every special occasion. Then when taxation by the king began to be an oppression, a Continental Congress was formed. As each new taxation was imposed, the bell would ring as a signal for the Continental Congress to convene to discuss it. The bell began to ring often, as the Congress met to discuss each new tax.
Finally in 1776 the Continental Congress passed the Declaration of Independence. There were parades, celebrations, bonfires in the streets—and the bell rang day and night.
British troops began to move in, and the bell was taken down to protect it from being smelted into British bullets. While it was being smuggled past the British in a hay wagon, the wagon broke down; and with great difficulty it was transferred to another wagon. It was safely hidden in Allentown for a year.
When the British left Philadelphia, the State House was cleaned up and the bell was [55] again placed in the tower. Then in 1781 the American War was over; and the bell “proclaimed liberty throughout all the land to all the people.”
As the constitution became the law of the land, the bell tolled for this national celebration. After this the bell rang only seldom—for a national holiday or at the death of some famous American.
On July 8th, 1835, when Chief Justice John Marshall died, the bell was rung and again it cracked! For ten years it remained silent. Then to celebrate Washington’s birthday, it was put through a restoration process. The bell rang and then it split once more—this time the bell was never to ring again.
On the 100th anniversary of this bell, it was taken down. The State House became the Hall of Independence, and the bell was named “the Liberty Bell.” Decorated railcars carried the famous bell all over the nation to celebrate the independence of the United States. The London Company that made the bell offered to remake it; but it had now become an American heritage. Next to the flag, it is the most treasured symbol of American liberty. Although it is cracked, it tells freedom’s story better than if it could ring.
[57] PATRICK HENRY
NIGHTINGALE OF LIBERTY
One does not speak of America, its greatness or the principles of liberty, without venerating those champions who established this nation. The ashes of those heroes rest in Mother Earth, but their labors, their example, and their words shall shine as long as America has a heroic spirit or a loyal pulse.
The name of Patrick Henry is permanently enrolled on the scroll of freedom, along with scores of other brave champions of American liberty.
As a boy, Patrick Henry was not of the usual boisterous type; he lacked the energy of application as a student, but was of a thoughtful and contemplative character. He often sat quietly at social parties—not remembering much of the conversation, but his uncanny memory of people and their character was almost strange. He could read the emotions, sensations, and character of others with minute detail. This ability doubtlessly gave him that power to influence and mold the feelings of others later in his life.
His first effort in business began when his father gave him a position in a country [58] store. Here he learned the opinions and attitudes of a variety of people around the cracker barrel, but Patrick’s good nature allowed the credit system to force him into poverty. He then married a farmer’s daughter and tried to earn a living off the land, but his heart was not in it and that too failed. And after this followed another business failure.
As a final effort to earn a living, he decided to take up law. His interests were here because he was an avid student of history and the principles which made nations rise and fall.
At the university he met a 17-year-old student, who was to become alife-long friend—Thomas Jefferson. Thomas once said that Patrick was coarse in manners, had a passion for music, appreciated gay humor and always won friends.
As a lawyer at the bar his cases were always dramatic and majestic. Often his hearers were moved to laughter or tears as they listened to his clear and persuasive voice.
It was here in the courts that Henry developed his unusual talent for speech. After covering an argument from every angle, he would then put his summation into one or two electric sentences. These penetrating sentences would burn into the memory and hearts of his hearers for many years.
[59]Because of Patrick Henry’s influence and power with words, it has been said that he was one of the first moving forces of the Revolution.
But though his fame would fill two continents, he was still simple in his tastes, always natural, and would kindly trod along with the humblest of men in the colonies.
We should respect Henry, not just for the effect of his words upon those men in the Revolution, but for the lasting value of those truths which are still applicable today.
We are now hearing the voices of cowardly traitors who would submit us to enemy nations that seek our destruction and the abolishment of our liberties. We listen to the speeches of American unpatriots who labor to submit our arms, our treasury, and our nation to international despots. There are voices now whose words are filling our nation with concessions, compromises, and submissions to alien powers who are preparing to overthrow everything America has achieved. We would do well to again listen to the voice of Patrick Henry, that champion of freedom, who said:
“An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us. They tell us that we are too weak to cope with so powerful an adversary; but when shall we be stronger? Shall we gain strength by weakly hugging the [60] delusion of safety and hope, the while that they are binding us hand and foot? We are not weak! We shall be armed in a holy cause. That God who holds the destinies of nations in the hollow of his hand will hear our cry. He will aid us. The battle is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave!”
The pleas of such faithful patriots as Patrick Henry stand as a standard to the principles of liberty, truth and independence. But now those voices are smothered by the voices of riotous mobs and conniving politicians. In the founding of this country, God inspired many honorable men whose words have influenced the creation of the United States of America. But we ask—who are the men whose subtle voices are now bartering away our freedoms?
* * *
PART II
Fifty members of the Continental Congress met in Carpenter’s Hall to settle the issue of independence, but most of the delegates were opposed or perplexed over the issue. The colonies had no treasury, no army, and no government—this condition could be disastrous to such an insignificant group.
A Virginia delegate arose to speak. He was a rather gawky, stoop shouldered sort of man who always appeared rather shy in private conversation. At the platform his [61] language seemingly gained momentum. His voice was persuasive and carried the power of conviction. The audience seemed helpless to refute or challenge the gems of truth he was indelibly impressing upon their minds. His words electrified the principles which would shape the Spirit of America from that day forth.
The name of this rustic nightingale was Patrick Henry.
With the might of a verbal sledge hammer, Patrick pounded the ideal into that Congress that they should no longer be contentious and bickering colonies, but that they must be united. “We are no longer Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders,” he cried. “We are Americans!” His voice was forging unity into the colonies.
The words of Patrick Henry resound from out of the past as though he were speaking again, but this time to warn us of the international conspiracies and their binding chains of submission. He cried out this perennial warning to Americans:
“Are fleets or armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so intractable that force must be used to win our love? Sirs, we deceive ourselves. These are implements of war and subjugation, arguments conclusive of Kings! [62] Gentlemen, we are to be forced into submission….They are meant for us…. Gentlemen may cry `peace, peace’—but there is no peace. The war is actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms. Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle? What would we have? Is life so Dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased with chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me—Give me liberty or give me death!”
Unfortunately, there were no reporters present, but that speech of Patrick Henry burned so deep into the minds of his hearers that it was quoted by them for 50 years. Whatever may be said of Patrick Henry, that one speech taught Americans the proper value of their liberty. After the death of Patrick Henry, a note was found among his papers. This great orator had left one last message to his countrymen. He wrote that he was not certain the liberty won at the cost of so much blood and anguish would be a blessing or a curse to the people of America, but he continued:
“If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable. Righteousness alone will exalt them as [63] a nation. Reader, whoever thou art, remember this, and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself and encourage it in others.”
The voice of Patrick Henry is silent, and his listeners have long passed away; but if ever the people of America needed to heed his words, it is now!
* * * * *
[65] LINCOLN AND LENIN
FREEDOM OR SLAVERY?
The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most impressive monuments in America. Two years after Lincoln was shot, plans were made to build a monument to his memory; and though money began to be collected, nothing was done for over 50 years.
This monument is not only representative of the man, but it stands for the inspiring principles that represent America.
The 17-ton cornerstone is hollow and contains several significant items, one of which is the Holy Bible. The Statue of Lincoln is 19 feet high on a 10-foot pedestal and weighs over 150 tons. Two canvas paintings nearby weigh 600 pounds and were covered with 300 pounds of paint. One of the pictures shows the Angel of Truth giving freedom to a slave, and the other portrays Immortality, Fraternity and Charity.
An anonymous writer once portrayed a graphic example of the Lincoln Memorial and the Lenin Tomb as representative of the two major opposing systems in the world today:
“For the final time in history, the entire globe has become one community—[66]but it is a community in which two opposing ways of life are competing, both struggling to win the allegiance of the mind and heart of mankind. Some time in the course of the 1970’s, the issue will be decided.
There are many ways of contrasting these competing systems. Over the years, I’ve often found myself thinking of them in terms of two men: Lenin and Lincoln. It seems to me that Lenin’s tomb in Moscow and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington are symbolic of the men and of the ways of life they represent.
The Lincoln Memorial is a beautiful, gleaming white. Lenin’s is a hard, highly polished, metallic black.
Visiting the Lincoln Memorial you go up the steps into the white light of day. Visiting the Lenin Mausoleum you trudge along a narrow hallway, the walls of which are dark, deep red. Eventually you turn, go down steps, turn and go down more steps. Finally you are some 30 feet beneath the earth in a small, eerily lighted vault, shuffling around a rectangular pit of blackness out of which emerges a black stone shaft, atop of which there’s a thick, black marble slab.
[67]On this slab, bedded on a luxurious red silk cushion, there lies the body of a man—Lenin. Over the lower part of his body a red flag has been thrown. Just below his crossed hands there is a golden object gleaming in the dim, blue light that comes from overhead-the crossed sickle and hammer.
At the Lincoln Memorial, you raise your eyes and look up. To view a tight-lipped, waxen Lenin, you look down. In one, you are closed in as in a dungeon; in the other you seem to be a part of God’s great out-of-doors.
In one, though you are looking at what remains of the actual, physical body of a man, it is unquestionably something dead and artificial. In the other, though it is chiseled marble, warmth and life somehow breathe through it. You took up to a tall, gaunt man with a kindly face, whose brooding eyes are turned toward the gleaming dome of the capitol of the nation he held together.
What a contrast in the character and the meaning of these two men!
Lenin once declared: “It’s a fight to the end, to their complete annihilation.” He was referring to our annihilation, to the annihilation of all peoples and the destruction, of all in-[68]stitutions not specifically and completely Communist dominated.
Lincoln said: “With malice toward none. With charity for all….” Lenin devoted his entire life setting one class against another. Lincoln said: “You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage payer.”
Lenin said: “Nothing is right or wrong, false or true, good or bad, except as it furthers the revolution.”
Lincoln said: “With firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.”
Lenin said: “One would like to caress the masses but one doesn’t dare. Like dogs, they turn and bite.”
Lincoln said: “God must have loved the common people; he made so many of them.”
These two men and their respective monuments depict the two ruling principles of government in the world today. The earth’s population will eventually succumb to one or the other—Communism or Liberty—slavery or freedom!
* * * * *
AS I WOULD NOT BE A SLAVE,
SO I WOULD NOT BE A MASTER.
THIS EXPRESSES MY IDEA OF DEMOCRACY.
Abraham Lincoln Letter, Aug. 1, 1858
[71] PAUL REVERE
A VOICE OF WARNING
Very few people ever dashed through the streets at night, disturbing the peaceful slumber of others and got thanked for it. At least, no one ever received the honor for it as was credited to that little silversmith-Paul Revere.
Revere was born on New Years Day in 1735. By the time the American Revolution commenced, he was in the prime of life. Although he was a silversmith by trade, he was actively interested in politics and the cause of American independence. As the fever of freedom spread, Paul was one of the 50 “longshoremen” handling tea at the docks of Boston at their famous Tea Party. After that he often served as a messenger for the Boston patriots.
The particular night – time adventure that won Revere his fame occurred when Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith planned to send 700 troops to destroy supplies at Concord and arrest Adams and Hancock. The patriots learned of the plan; and Revere, Dawes, and others were sent to warn Adams and Hancock at Lexington, and also the patriots at Concord. A signal in the steeple of the old North Church was two lanterns if the British [72] were coming by water, or one lantern if by land. The signal, contrary to most history books, was not TO Paul Revere, but BY him to his friends in Charleston.
Then Revere left Boston at 10:00 p.m. and arrived in Lexington at midnight to warn Adams and Hancock—sounding the alarm that the British were coming, as he traveled. At 1:00 a.m. Revere, Dawes, and Prescott left for Concord, but a British patrol caught Revere. Only Prescott managed to get through to Concord to give the warning.
From 1776 to 1779, Revere commanded a garrison of artillerymen in Boston. When the Revolution was well under way, he was busily engaged in making bullets, casting cannons, and manufacturing gunpowder.
As a businessman he was very successful. Among his accomplishments, he made bells, which are still being used today; he designed and printed the first continental paper money; and designed the Massachusetts state seal, which is still officially accepted today. He made copper fittings for “Old Ironsides,” and also discovered the process of rolling sheet copper. He built the first copper roller mill in America. As a silversmith, his artistic tableware are priceless masterpieces found in valuable collections and museums around the country. His name is famous for his works in silver, and we still often hear the name of Revere ware.
[73]Paul Revere was a busy man before, during and after the Revolution, but his greatest contribution was his efforts toward independence and ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
Others rode further and warned more people, but it was the historical poem that immortalized Revere. Still we must respect the courage and mission that he and others displayed on those seemingly minor incidents in history. His duty was to warn Americans of approaching enemies.
Today we also need patriots like Revere to warn Americans of enemy dangers. The mass media today—the movies, television, newspapers, and magazines—glow with crime, immoralities, Socialism, and Communism. Dangers to America loom on every side. Troubled with espionage, sabotage, strikes, riots, and political intrigue, our country faces a worse danger than ever before. It is time for men like Revere to hoist the lamp of warning for American patriots!
* * * * *
[75] THE CHINA WALL
WEAKNESS IN DEFENSE
The great wall of China is one of the most astounding feats in the history of engineering. Built many centuries ago to keep out the invading Tartars, it became the longest fortification ever built. Over a million men labored with stone, earth, and brick through valleys, over mountains, and across plains for a distance of over 1500 miles-far enough to reach across the United States from Canada to Mexico. The wall is over 20 feet thick at its base and tapers up to a height of 25 feet. The top is paved with bricks as a roadway for horsemen, and 40-foot towers for watchmen were stationed about every 250 yards. Near each town or city was a massive and well guarded gate.
The great wall appeared to be an impregnable defense against the enemy. But, three times this massive fortification was breached by the enemy—not by breaking it down, but by bribing the gatekeepers!
During the past 30 years America has built a massive defense system which has cost over one trillion dollars. We have created wonders in the field of science which have sent data recording rockets around the world, past the sun and the plan-[76]ets. Atomic fission and nuclear bombs coupled with chemical, biological, and radiological means of warfare have created defensive means more frightening than any nightmare movie. Ingenious computers are capable of calculating in a few moments facts which would require a team of men over one hundred years to accomplish. Strange and miraculous detection devices in radar, sonar, and other unseen transmissions make it almost impossible for an enemy to hide on land, under the ocean, or far into space. Our scientific means of defense seems to be impregnable.
In the coming years will we learn that the great American defense system was worthless? Will we learn some day that some of the men in executive, judicial and legislative positions had betrayed their country?
Similarly, like the great wall of China, our great defense system may fail because we could not trust our gatekeepers!
* * * * *
[77]THOSE WHO WOULD TREAT POLITICS
AND MORALITY APART WILL NEVER
UNDERSTAND THE ONE OR THE OTHER.
John, Viscount Morley
Rousseau
[79] BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
THE AMERICAN SAGE
The life story of Benjamin Franklin reads like fiction. It seems highly improbable that so much genius and wisdom could be wrapped up within one human being. The long list of his achievements in the fields of science, public service, political office, and business, rendered him the highest honors while he lived and immortalized his name since his death. Thomas Jefferson said that he was “the greatest man and ornament of the age and country;” and another writer wrote that “Franklin concerned himself with such different matters as statesmanship and soapmaking, book printing and cabbage growing, and the rise of tides and the fall of empires.”
Ben Franklin was born January 17, 1706, as the 15th child and had 14 older sisters—which may have been a contributing factor to his humorous wit and homespun philosophy. Although he obtained only two years of schooling, he became one of the best educated men of his time. At the age of 12 he became an apprentice printer, and at 24 he owned his own newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette. He won an early success in business; his formula for success was simple—work a little harder than the competitors. His newspaper was the first to carry a [80] drawn cartoon, but it was his publishing of “Poor Richard’s Almanac” that became his most profitable enterprise, selling 10,000 copies annually. These sage sayings became world renown and are still quoted today, some of which are:
“Little strokes fell great oaks.”
“He’s a fool that makes his doctor his heir.”
“God helps those who help themselves.”
“He that fall in love with himself will have no rivals.”
As a public servant he made major contributions which improved city, state, national and international conditions. Franklin offered to clear up the postal mess in Philadelphia and was made the City Postmaster. His efforts improved the system so much that he was promoted to be Deputy Postmaster of all the colonies. He established the first city delivery mail system and the first dead-mail office. He also organized a fire department, reformed the city police department, established the American Philosophical Society, and formed the University of Pennsylvania. Then he organized a program for paving, cleaning, and lighting the streets of Philadelphia, making it the most advanced city in the 13 colonies.
The scientific discoveries of Ben Franklin made him unequalled as an inventor up to the time of Thomas Edison. He invented the bifocal lenses in reading glasses, was the [81] inventor of the “Franklin” heating stove, and discovered that lightning was electricity. He then invented the “lightning rod” to protect homes from lightning. When his own home was struck by lightning and saved by the “rod,” it indicated his wise saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” He learned the power of electricity when he was trying to kill a turkey with it, but accidentally took the jolt himself and was knocked unconscious.
He developed new avenues in the study of oceanography, meteorology and medicine; his discoveries were acclaimed by the Royal Society of London because they extended beyond the realm of the European scientists. It was his scientific accomplishments that first gave him world recognition and made him the best known American of his time. Old World universities and New World colleges vied with one another in honoring him. However, he considered that his discoveries were for the well being of mankind rather than for the motive of profit, and he never took out a single patent. Benjamin Franklin was a man whose life and labor was devoted to the improvement and betterment of his fellowmen. He benefitted society by constantly building, inventing, and devising—always in the interest of his country and his countrymen.
In recent years some young Americans are becoming revolutionary militants disrupting [82] the rights of others and stopping government operations. They are rioting, starting fires and bombing banks, universities, and even the Washington Capitol. Their infamous subversive activities, dope addictions, immoralities, crimes and demonstrations are all done in the name of peace and freedom. But the real lessons of peace, prosperity, and freedom are best learned from men like Franklin who helped to create them in America!
* * *
PART II
Although Franklin was honored throughout the colonies for his accomplishments and was given world recognition as a scientist, his greatest tribute was gained after he was 70 years old. It was his political career that made him one of the most outstanding Founding Fathers of his country.
His political life began when he was voted into the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751; and when difficulties grew between France and Britain, it was Franklin who was chosen to be the American ambassador to those countries. It has been written that he then proved to be “the most successful diplomat America has ever sent abroad.”
There was considerable peace between England and America during his visit to England; but this calm was suddenly disrupted when the British passed the Tea Act of 1773, and this tax on the colonies resulted in the [83] Boston Tea Party. While the flame of wrath burned between the two nations, Franklin realized he was a mediator between the two extremists on both sides of the Atlantic. He offered to pay the British, from his own pocket, the price of the tea in the Boston Harbor if they would repeal that tax. The British ignored his offer and publicly denounced him. He realized that further negotiations were futile and that American independence was an imminent necessity. Franklin left for America, and just before he arrived, the “shot heard ’round the world” had been fired at Concord, Massachusetts.
It was May 1775, and a new and remarkable part of Franklin’s life was just beginning. He was immediately appointed to the Continental Congress and named Postmaster General for the colonies. Although he loathed war, he organized a defense for Philadelphia and made preparations for American independence. He drafted a constitution which he called the “Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union for the United Colonies of North America,” which Jefferson heartily approved. When the situation had ripened for a declaration of independence to be drawn up, Franklin was appointed on the committee of five to make the draft.
During this crisis America needed the allied assistance of the French for the necessary strength to win the Revolution; so Franklin was appointed as Minister to France. It has been said of him that this was the [84] most important mission of his life, and one author wrote:
“Franklin now proved himself the greatest ambassador the New World has ever sent to the Old. His wisdom and tolerance, his humane sympathies, his endearing rationalism, personifying all the ideas cherished in the age of enlightenment, opened every door to him. He was the most successful interpreter of the New World to the Old and of the Old World to the New. He was the first and most illustrious citizen in the Atlantic civilization.”
His wisdom and wit, his tact and courtesy, to noblemen and commoners, won him international popularity. Franklin gained the needed alliance with France, and the tide of the Revolution was turning to American freedom.
He was the only man who signed all four of the key documents in American history: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain, and the American Constitution.
After the struggle through war, victory, blood and treaties, the formation of the American Constitution stood in jeopardy. Bitter contention and debate arose among the representatives of the states, and Washington despaired of ever seeing a settlement [85] made. Again Franklin became the ameliorating factor to bring about a settlement. He arose before the assembly and said:
“In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how had it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered.
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?
He 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.”
[86]Franklin’s advice was accepted, and the principal issues were soon settled. Formation of the Constitution began, and history knows of few instruments which have established such important rules for the making of a nation.
At the age of 84, on April 17, 1790, Benjamin Franklin passed away. Twenty thousand people attended his funeral—over half the population of Philadelphia. Yet with all his grand accomplishments, inventions and contributions to mankind, his humble attitude was well reflected in his will when he wrote, “I, Benjamin Franklin, printer….”
But more respected than the rising of a nation are the rare men of genius like Franklin who improved their city, their state, and their nation—men who supported and defended the principles of freedom and the liberty of their country. These valiant men proved to be inspirational giants. They left dignity, honor and justice for the heritage of all Americans.
* * * * *
[87]OUR CONSTITUTION IS IN ACTUAL OPERATION;
EVERYTHING APPEARS TO PROMISE THAT IT WILL
LAST; BUT IN THIS WORLD NOTHING IS CERTAIN
BUT DEATH AND TAXES.
Benjamin Franklin
Letter to M. Leroy 1789
[89] THOMAS JEFFERSON
THE GENIUS OF INDEPENDENCE
From out of the masses of humanity there occasionally arises a colossus hero—not of the type who gained honors for victories in bloody war, or fame for a skill of daring feat, but a man endowed with ideals and principles far in advance of his time. Thomas Jefferson was just such a man.
Jefferson was among those noble few whose name and work remain as a living monument for centuries to follow. Few men have ever been endowed with the variety of creative talents that he possessed. There was hardly a field of art, science, religion, politics or philosophy with which he was not acquainted and to which he had not made a contribution.
He was the foremost architect of his time. He designed the Virginia State Capitol, all of the Virginia University buildings, and his Monticello home.
He was intensely interested in the realm of science and was the inventor of our well known swivel chair, the dumb waiter, our commonplace one-arm school desk, plus numerous other inventions.
[90]As a farmer he cultivated some of the finest gardens in America. His wish was that he could earn his living by the ground, stating that “those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.”
Music was an appreciated art to him. He often played his violin in chamber music concerts, and at home he was accompanied by his wife who played the harpsichord.
He devised the decimal system in American coinage by which we count our dollars and cents—a method still in use today.
His writings include the drafting of the Virginia civil code, a manual of Parliamentary Practice, (currently in use) written vocabularies of Indian languages, a “Life of Christ,” and a prolific series of letters and documents which have been compiled into over 25 volumes. His personal library collection contained over 6400 volumes, which he contributed to form the nucleus of the Library of Congress.
Thomas Jefferson had six sisters and four brothers and was 14 when his father died. Being the oldest son, he became the head of the family. During his schooling he studied in many fields and learned Latin, Greek, and French. Then from school he went on to become a successful lawyer. He met and married Martha Skelton, a widow, in 1772; and although she lived only ten years afterwards, they had five daughters and one son.
[91]However, only two daughters lived to maturity.
In politics he had become
Governor of Virginia for two years
Congressman in 1783
Minister to France from 1784 to 1789
Secretary of State in 1789
Vice President in 1796
President of the United States from 1800 to 1808.
In 1809 at the age of 65 he retired to write letters on religion, philosophy, law, education, politics, and science. Many of these letters became classic studies. “Jeffersonian Democracy” was a popular concept of people living under as little government as possible.
But to understand the greatness of great men, we need not look to their achievements of wealth, the honors heaped upon them by society, or their titles and offices. We look to their ideas and the brilliance of the principles which they conceived. To know Jefferson, or have reason to honor him, is to revere his words—not his monuments in stone.
It would be well for the people of America to read again the ideals and principles of government which were written by this founding father. Jefferson wrote:
[92]”What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun? The generalizing and concentrating all cares and powers into one body.”
“When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.”
“The germ of dissolution of our Federal government is in the constitution of the federal judiciary; an irresponsible body working like gravity by night and by day, gaining a little today and little tomorrow, and advancing its noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction, until all shall be usurped from the States, and the government of all be consolidated into one.”
“I place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of all dangers to be feared.”
“I am not for increasing, by every device, the public debt, on the principle of its being a public blessing. To preserve our independence, we must [93] not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.”
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which, if acted on, would save one-half the wars of the world.”
A wise and frugal government “shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” “What a cruel reflection that a rich country cannot long be a free one.”
“Debt and revolution are as inseparable as cause and effect.”
Although Jefferson founded the Democratic Party, which later became the Republican, he would not recognize either party if he were alive today. Also, neither political party would accept his ideals if he were alive to present them. Jeffersonian Democracy is very unpopular in American today.
* * *
PART II
It was a beautiful spring day in 1764; but inside the Virginia House of Burgesses, debate was hot and heavy. British taxation on the American colonies was fuel for the fire, and the meeting reached its zenith when Patrick Henry’s speech ended with, “If this be treason, make the most of it.”
[94]Thomas Jefferson listened intently to Henry, for they were good friends and as youths had attended school together. Jefferson considered Patrick as a rather rough, uncouth character, but this day his words were “splendid.” It was the first shot of patriotic inspiration to course through Jefferson’s veins and it thrilled his soul. From this moment on he would also carry that banner and become one of the immortal champions of liberty.
Within four years Thomas was the founder of an important association that protested Britain’s heavy taxation. Again in 1774 Jefferson led another committee opposing British rule over the American colonies. These were stepping stones for Jefferson, and they led him into the Continental Congress. His words were to become cherished by every American patriot. He had declared that—
“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much Liberty, than those attending too small a degree of it.”
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of Liberty.”
“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”
[95]”The last hope of human Liberty in this world rests on us.”
He engraved a motto on his ring seal which said, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”
John Adams, one of Jefferson’s closest friends, said that Jefferson was a man who could “calculate an eclipse, survey an estate, tie an artery, plan an edifice, break a horse, dance a minuet and play the violin,” yet he lacked any eloquence as an orator. While Jefferson was a member of the Congress, Adams recalled, “I never heard him utter three sentences together.” But Jefferson’s forte was in his pen.
On June 7, 1776, Richard Lee arose before the Congress and said, “These colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” Everyone had wanted independence—battles for independence had already been fought at Lexington, Concord, and Ticonderoga. Everyone felt the spirit of independence; they were just waiting for Congress to declare it. Lee’s admonition sparked Congress into appointing a committee to draw up a declaration to that effect. The committee in turn gave the sole responsibility to Jefferson, for they all knew his brilliance could devise the necessary document they all desired.
Jefferson hurried to his little Philadelphia apartment on the second floor of a [96] bricklayer’s house on Market Street. From June 11th to the 28th—seventeen days—Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence which would sever the chain that bound the colonies to Britain. Jefferson modestly said that he wrote only that which he felt was “an expression of the American mind.” When it was read to the Committee, Adams and Franklin offered a few minor changes, and then the draft was presented to Congress. Some further changes were made, and then on July 4, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the United States. The Declaration was to be signed by all members of the Congress under the words:
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor.”
John Hancock, president of the Congress, stepped forward and placed his signature in large bold letters and said that he wanted his name large enough that the King of England could read it without his glasses. Franklin said they would all leave to hang together in this matter, or else they would get hung separately.
Richard Lee said that the Declaration of Independence “in its nature is so good that no cookery can spoil the dish for the palates of free men.”
[97]America celebrates its birthday from the time this document was signed.
After many long arduous years of labor to support and defend his country, Jefferson reached the sunset of his years in quiet and honored peace. He knew that his time was drawing to a close and told his doctor that “it will soon be all over.” He looked upon death like being “caught in a shower— an event not to be desired, but not to be feared.” Calling in his family for his final farewell, he spoke with a calmness as if he were going on a short journey. He asked that his tombstone bear “the following inscription, and not a word more.”
Here was buried Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence,
Of the statute of Virginia for Religion Freedom,
And father of the University of Virginia.
Strangely enough, he omitted the fact that he had twice been President of the United States. He wrote a little poem and gave it to his daughter which reads in part:
Life’s visions are vanished; its dreams are no more;
Dear friends of my bosom, why bathed in tears?
I go to my fathers; I welcome the shore
Which crowns all my hopes or which buries my cares.
[98]Through the night he was partly delirious. At 11 o’clock his lips moved slightly and then he lost consciousness. At 12:50 noon he passed on—it was July 4th, 1826—just 50 years, to the day, after the Declaration of Independence!
At that same moment in Quincy, Massachusetts, Jefferson’s dear friend John Adams, was also dying. Adams, too, spoke softly, and his last words were, “Thomas Jefferson still survives.” While bands played and the streets were filled with parades and crowds celebrating the 50th Anniversary of American independence, Jefferson and Adams slipped quietly to the other shore.
Such unusual incidents in the pages of history do not occur by coincidence, for they strangely but clearly portray the concern of an all seeing Providence who watches with particular interest in His chosen Sons of Liberty.
* * * * *
[99]MY GOD! HOW LITTLE DO MY COUNTRYMEN
KNOW WHAT PRECIOUS BLESSINGS THEY ARE
IN POSSESSION OF, AND WHICH NO OTHER
PEOPLE ON EARTH ENJOY.
Thomas Jefferson
The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson
[101] THE BATTLE CONTINUES
DUTY OF AMERICANS
The year 1776 marked a temporal victory along the path of freedom from oppressive government control and taxation. When the new American government was announced to the public, a lady asked Benjamin Franklin what kind of government had been given to them, to which he replied, “A Republic, ma’m, if you can preserve it.” The preservation of such a coveted form of government from outside attack or deterioration from within, requires the constant vigilance of its citizens.
Over the blood-soaked Mason-Dixon Line, we recaptured a freedom from slavery; from the Alamo and Pearl Harbor we stemmed the tide of imperialism and dictatorships. However, the battle to preserve our freedom rages on. For two decades we have lost many battles and suffered heavy losses against the forces opposing our freedoms.
Today we are witnessing the creeping and ever subtle socialist cause within the very borders of our choice land. The burden of taxes has exceeded the taxation which resulted in the Boston Tea Party. Freedoms in nearly every avenue have dwindled as our Government expands in size and its controls. [102] Too many citizens who should earn their bread by the sweat of their face, are demanding federal means to solve their economic desires.
Never before in American history have the fears from outside aggressive forces, and also the inward insurrections, been met with so many apathetic and unpatriotic citizens. The rise of war and anarchy threaten to crush our inalienable rights of freedom; yet, apparently, only very few Americans are concerned.
The time has arrived for America to rekindle that spark of patriotism and spirituality which marked the mettle and character of our early forefathers. Only with a love for truth and a deep spiritual faith, will Americans obtain courage to defend and preserve liberty.
The American Revolution was only partially won, because the battle for freedom continues.
* * * * *