Theodore Roosevelt

[Guest diablo slim shootist]

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

 

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here

in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be

treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to

discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin

But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American

and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here

. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an Ame

rican at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have

room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have

room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people

 

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

 

makes you wonder where have all the true Americans have gone

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

You know, it would be great if some of our Hollywood folks would do up a story of Teddy's life, concentrating on the early years more than his political career. Now that is a "cowboy" story I would like to see.

 

Where's TR when we really need him? Bust a few greedy corporations, straighten out immigration, establish a few national parks and wildlife conservation clubs. Bully!

 

Good luck, GJ

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

What a great man he was, and truer words were never spoken.

 

Your timing is great, pard. I've been chastising myself lately for not knowing as much about TR as I should and plan to read a book about him as soon as I finish the stack of Rev. War books on my shelf.

 

Can anyone recommend a good book on TR?

[Remo, SASS #17644]

Can anyone recommend a good book on TR?

Yes........ Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. This is a new release relating to his later life until his death @ 60.

[Ranger Sgt. Jake McCandless #3368]

I read TR 's book The Ranching Life,the more I read about the man the less I found I cared for him. In my case be careful what one asks for you just might get it. Adios Sgt. Jake

[Lyin' Ike]

Theodore Roosevelt championed the idea of redistribution of wealth advocating that the rich should not only pay more in taxes but also at a higher tax rate. Teddy Roosevelt started the progressive movement in this country.

 

“No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned. Every dollar received should represent a dollar’s worth of service rendered-not gambling in stocks, but service rendered. The really big fortune, the swollen fortune, by the mere fact of its size, acquires qualities which differentiate it in kind as well as in degree from what is possessed by men of relatively small means. Therefore, I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and in another tax which is far more easily collected and far more effective-a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, properly safeguarded against evasion, and increasing rapidly in amount with the size of the estate.” -- Theodore Roosevelt

[Guest diablo slim shootist]

Got this one from Chile Pepper Kid:

 

"Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready."

President Theodore Roosevelt, May 13, 1903.

thanks Kid thats a winner _Bully for you!

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Theodore Roosevelt championed the idea of redistribution of wealth advocating that the rich should not only pay more in taxes but also at a higher tax rate. Teddy Roosevelt started the progressive movement in this country.

 

“No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned. Every dollar received should represent a dollar’s worth of service rendered-not gambling in stocks, but service rendered. The really big fortune, the swollen fortune, by the mere fact of its size, acquires qualities which differentiate it in kind as well as in degree from what is possessed by men of relatively small means. Therefore, I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and in another tax which is far more easily collected and far more effective-a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, properly safeguarded against evasion, and increasing rapidly in amount with the size of the estate.” -- Theodore Roosevelt

 

Theodore was a Republican. Are you sure you're not quoting his nephew, Franklin Delano Roosevelt? FDR was essentially a socialist in a Democrat's clothing, creating Social Security, the "New Deal," and other socialist programs. I haven't checked your quote, but methinks you're confusing TR with FDR.

[Steel-eye Steve SASS #40674]

Theodore was a Republican. Are you sure you're not quoting his nephew, Franklin Delano Roosevelt? FDR was essentially a socialist in a Democrat's clothing, creating Social Security, the "New Deal," and other socialist programs. I haven't checked your quote, but methinks you're confusing TR with FDR.

Actually by the standards of his time, TR was one of our most liberal presidents. Also both parties have changed a lot over the last 100 years.

[Monument Valley Mike #54837]

You know, it would be great if some of our Hollywood folks would do up a story of Teddy's life, concentrating on the early years more than his political career. Now that is a "cowboy" story I would like to see.

 

There was movement on doing a film of TR's time in the Dakotas to be directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo Di Caprio as a young TR.

 

Last I heard it was still in pre-production plans.

[Monument Valley Mike #54837]

Can anyone recommend a good book on TR?

 

H.W. Brands has a very good & detailed bio called TR.

 

Then there's the three-volume bio(s) by Edmund Morris:

The Rise of Thedore Roosevelt

Theodore Rex

and the recent Colonel Roosevelt.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Theodore Roosevelt championed the idea of redistribution of wealth advocating that the rich should not only pay more in taxes but also at a higher tax rate. Teddy Roosevelt started the progressive movement in this country.

 

"No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned. Every dollar received should represent a dollar's worth of service rendered-not gambling in stocks, but service rendered. The really big fortune, the swollen fortune, by the mere fact of its size, acquires qualities which differentiate it in kind as well as in degree from what is possessed by men of relatively small means. Therefore, I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and in another tax which is far more easily collected and far more effective-a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, properly safeguarded against evasion, and increasing rapidly in amount with the size of the estate." -- Theodore Roosevelt

 

Yer abslootly correct , when I found this out I scratched him off my list of favorite presidents. (Geez, the list is getting smaller and smaller.) TR also started the National Parks program which is a good idea but not to the people whose land was taken from them back when it started. Rye

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Theodore was a Republican. Are you sure you're not quoting his nephew, Franklin Delano Roosevelt? FDR was essentially a socialist in a Democrat's clothing, creating Social Security, the "New Deal," and other socialist programs. I haven't checked your quote, but methinks you're confusing TR with FDR.

 

Howdy

 

TR was not FDR's uncle, they were distant cousins. And yes, the political parties have changed a great deal from when they were first conceived. TR was a Progressive, practically invented the term. He would not fit very well into the modern concept of the Republican party.

[DocWard]

Like every other President, or person for that matter, TR was a mixture of qualities that others tend to both appreciate and dislike. In essence, he was human. My own personal favorite among the Presidents and founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, certainly fits that description. Remember, anyone who agrees with you all the time is trying to sell you something.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

H.W. Brands has a very good & detailed bio called TR.

 

Then there's the three-volume bio(s) by Edmund Morris:

The Rise of Thedore Roosevelt

Theodore Rex

and the recent Colonel Roosevelt.

All great books I received the latest "Colonel Roosevelt" for Christmas and am now reading it.

TR was a great man and IMHO a great President, probably one of the greatest. Granted some of his views my seem extreme, but times were very different then. There were fewer "very wealthy" people and almost no middle class as we know it. The wealthy were very powerful and controlled almost everything in this country. TR waged a battle against the monoplies that controlled all aspects of business and government.

 

I particularly like the books about his ranching/cattle raising experience. He also was one of the founders of the Boone & Crocket Club. A great man

[Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363]

There's something of a mythology that's built up about TR over the years. The truth is a bitter pill for some folks to swallow.

 

Here's a fairly good analysis ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/t...government-man/

[Oddnews SASS# 24779]

There is no doubt that TR was a trust-busting progressive -- but also a man of his era. Most firearms hobbyists like him to one degree or another because we share a hobby with him. Having said that, his political critics said of him, "The president has no more use for the Constitution than a tomcat has for a marraige license."

 

TR was one of the most generally talented people ever to sit in the White House. He was an adequate artist with pen and pencil, a highly skilled writer who wrote numerous popular books, an intricate lawyer and a skilled politician. He was, in many ways, an admirable man -- but even he would acknowledge an overweening ambition that drove him throughout his life.

 

Based on reading his political writings, I think he'd be something of a left-wing liberal today -- assuming he had only the knowledge available during his lifetime. That lifetime ended before the general tribulations of the various communist and socialist systems of government were revealed to be the utter failures that we have seen them become in the past century.

 

But TR was also a realist, who refused to let ideology stand in the way of end goals. If he were alive today and could see the end results of those systems progressives from his era espoused, and the damage to individual rights that comes from having one set of rights for the working man, and a separate set of rights (higher taxation, restriction of property ownership, etc), for the rich, I think he'd take the more realistic approach -- and the one that favored the individual over government solutions, even if that means that the rich get richer.

 

Like all human beings, Theodore Roosevelt was a complexity. His bad points certainly existed. They were balanced by extremely high talents and numerous good points.

[Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320]

Yer abslootly correct , when I found this out I scratched him off my list of favorite presidents. (Geez, the list is getting smaller and smaller.) TR also started the National Parks program which is a good idea but not to the people whose land was taken from them back when it started. Rye

 

When was land taken from people?

 

My family owns land in Glacier National Park which my grandfather purchased in 1947 from the private owner.

 

I believe there is privately owned land in all the national parks except Yellowstone and that is because there was no private land in Yellowstone when it was made a national park. When a national park was formed all private land remained private.

 

There is a national group called the National Inholders Association which represents private property owners in the national parks and others.

 

Sage Creek Gus

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Oddnews

 

Thanks for that very insightful post. Personally, I think TR was a great man. Anybody who understands how trusts were running rampant in the 19th Century will agree.

 

Interestingly enough, I just finished reading an account of how J.P. Morgan saved the financial system from complete ruin in the Panic of 1907. And he did it with the help of the Roosevelt administration, which advanced $25,000,000 to help stabilize the banks. Pretty amazing when you realize that Morgan was the first of the great trusts that TR had gone after.

[Doc Shapiro]

TR was certainly an avid outdoorsman, artist, writer, soldier, etc. But he was also an ardent leftist, many would say full on socialist. Some interesting reading in several bios of him. Theodore Rex was a good one.

 

Can't say that I would have voted for him, that's for dang sure. As Oddnews said, he had little use for the Constitution.

[Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363]

Can't say that I would have voted for him, that's for dang sure. As Oddnews said, he had little use for the Constitution.

 

He was also the first president to use "executive orders". A handy way to circumvent the Constitution, bypass Congress, and rule by decree instead of law.

[Denhamville Mayor]

Yup, Teddy's mother was from Georgia and his Uncle (his Mom's brother) was head of the Confederate Secret Service in England during the "Late Unpleasantness Between the States!" Teddy grew up idolizing his Uncle.

 

Teddy realized, before anyone else it seems that the 20th Century would be "The American Century." Ever since 1941 we have been trying to impose a "Pax Americana" on the rest of the world-but the jury is still out on that one. At least Teddy realized what the future had in store.

[Guest Paniolo Cowboy SASS #75875]

I never thought that I'd be in a position to defend Theodore Roosevelt. But I guess if I'm going to defend one of my heroes, then it may as well be TR.

 

Lately, maybe because the Progressives are so much in the news, I hear more people trying to paint TR as a flaming Liberal. But should anyone call him Liberal in today's terms? I don't see how!

 

He wrote over thirty books, was also a cowboy, a populist, and an old school Republican activist.

 

He was always pro-law enforcement. As a New York Police Commissioner, he reorganized and helped to modernize the New York Police Department. The police force was reputed as one of the most corrupt in America, so he attacked the corruption and abuse of power within the Police Department .... and later did the same in the New York state house.

 

He took that same sort of vigor to the Oval Office after McKinley was shot by going after corruption in the Political Machine of the times and the abuse of power by corporations over average Americans.

 

He was definitely anti-Special Interest and of a Government ruled by those interest.

 

Some of the results of his fight were the never before heard of Child Labor Laws to restrict the exploitation of children.

 

And besides the Child Labor Laws, he championed the 8 hour work day, the 40 hour work week, an employee liability law for industrial injuries, and a living wage. This is what made TR so-called "anti-corporations".

 

During his time he was the first to start food safety regulations to stop the sale of bad meats and other foods, drugs, and beverages. The result was The Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act (1906) which was passed to protect public health.

 

He was not in favor of Unions and was actually anti-Union, especially by today's standards where they control so much with their political contributions. He hated the idea that those with money could make huge political contributions and subsequently control things.

 

He appointed three very Conservative Justices to SCOTUS including Oliver Wendell Holmes.

 

He loved nature and championed the conservation movement of the time. He was a Conservationist and set goals to preserve the land FOR our future. He was not an environmentalist like those in today's Environmentalism movement which has become a political wing of America's Left and a haven for crazies who see humans as the enemy of the environment.

 

TR was so concerned about our environment and energy needs in the future so much that he put aside coal, oil, mineral, and forest reserves that did not come available until 2009. He knew that at the rate that they were using our natural resources during his term in office that there might not be any available one hundred years later. So he put much of those lands aside for the USE of Americans in later generations when he founded the National Parks system and the resource preservation acts.

 

He also championed a woman's right to vote and was a women's suffrage supporter to reform laws against women, especially old laws against a wife's right to inherit her husband's property. In many states at the time it was against the law for women to own property, and in many states after a husband's death ... the property would go to his next male kin.

 

TR believed in U.S. power, built up our Navy, welcomed the idea of U.S. expansion, and he even sought to extend the Monroe Doctrine to other countries. He put into place a temporary U.S. style of colonial rule over the Dominican Republic in 1905 and Cuba in 1906, as well as organizing the 1903 secession of Panama from Colombia in order to obtain the Panama Canal Zone.

 

In an article on immigration, Roosevelt said, "We must Americanize in every way, in speech, in political ideas and principles, and in their way of looking at relations between church and state. We welcome the German and the Irishman who becomes an American. We have no use for the German or Irishman who remains such... He must revere only our flag, not only must it come first, but no other flag should even come second."

 

None of these that I've listed are anywhere near Liberal positions today.

 

The idea that the American Progressive movement of the late 19th century is in anyway similar to the so-called re-labeled Liberals today who call themselves Progressives is insane. They are like night and day.

 

One great example that the Progressive Movement of the late 19th Century is different than the so-called Prgressive of today is that during the TR's time Progressives sought to enable the citizenry to rule more directly and circumvent political bosses.

 

Read Theodore Roosevelt's speech that he gave in 1912 pertaining to "The Rights of the People to Rule" and tell me if it is the same as the liberal left's agenda today? It isn't.

 

"Are the American people fit to govern themselves, to rule themselves, to control themselves? I believe they are. My opponents do not. I believe in the right of the people to rule. I believe the majority of the plain people of the United States will, day in and day out, make fewer mistakes in governing themselves than any smaller class or body of men, no matter what their training, will make in trying to govern them. I believe, again, that the American people are, as a whole, capable of self-control and of learning by their mistakes. Our opponents pay lip-loyalty to this doctrine; but they show their real beliefs by the way in which they champion every device to make the nominal rule of the people a sham. I have scant patience with this talk of the tyranny of the majority. Wherever there is tyranny of the majority, I shall protest against it with all my heart and soul. But we are today suffering from the tyranny of minorities. It is a small minority that is grabbing our coal-deposits, our water-powers, and our harbor fronts. A small minority is battening on the sale of adulterated foods and drugs. It is a small minority that lies behind monopolies and trusts. It is a small minority that stands behind the present law of master and servant, the sweat-shops, and the whole calendar of social and industrial injustice. ...

 

The only tyrannies from which men, women, and children are suffering in real life are the tyrannies of minorities. If the majority of the American people were in fact tyrannous over the minority, if democracy had no greater self-control than empire, then indeed no written words which our forefathers put into the Constitution could stay that tyranny.

 

No sane man who has been familiar with the government of this country for the last twenty years will complain that we have had too much of the rule of the majority. The trouble has been a far different one that, at many times and in many localities, there have held public office in the States and in the nation men who have, in fact, served not the whole people, but some special class or special interest. I am not thinking only of those special interests which by grosser methods, by bribery and crime, have stolen from the people. I am thinking as much of their respectable allies and figureheads, who have ruled and legislated and decided as if in some way the vested rights of privilege had a first mortgage on the whole United States, while the rights of all the people were merely an unsecured debt. Am I overstating the case? Have our political leaders always, or generally, recognized their duty to the people as anything more than a duty to disperse the mob, see that the ashes are taken away, and distribute patronage? Have our leaders always, or generally, worked for the benefit of human beings, to increase the prosperity of all the people, to give each some opportunity of living decently and bringing up his children well? The questions need no answer." (Theodore Roosevelt, 1912)

 

This sounds more like Tea Party Conservatism than it does 2011 Liberalism. This sounds like all of the reasons that the November 2010 Elections turned out the way they did.

 

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Paniolo Cowboy, you got it right. As I said in my previous post...times are very different today than when TR was alive and in office.

 

Wonder how he would feel about whats happening now?

[Rye Miles #13621]

When was land taken from people?

 

My family owns land in Glacier National Park which my grandfather purchased in 1947 from the private owner.

 

I believe there is privately owned land in all the national parks except Yellowstone and that is because there was no private land in Yellowstone when it was made a national park. When a national park was formed all private land remained private.

 

There is a national group called the National Inholders Association which represents private property owners in the national parks and others.

 

Sage Creek Gus

 

 

Gus, it was actually purchased from the people that owned the land not taken. My mistake. But the fact is lots of people HAD to sell they're land to the Feds and move when they didn't want to. Kind of a "eminent domain" type of deal. I saw it on a PBS documentary which makes it all the more credible cause they usually side with "progressives". Rye

[Doc Shapiro]

PC, That response either requires me to go back to my books and do a slew or research to show you that several of the positions that you outlined in your post actually are positions of today's liberals, or no response at all. To be honest, I'm not inclined to do it as I don't believe it's worth the effort to change your mind on TR.

[Steel-eye Steve SASS #40674]

Some of the results of his fight were the never before heard of Child Labor Laws to restrict the exploitation of children.

 

And besides the Child Labor Laws, he championed the 8 hour work day, the 40 hour work week, an employee liability law for industrial injuries, and a living wage. This is what made TR so-called "anti-corporations".

 

During his time he was the first to start food safety regulations to stop the sale of bad meats and other foods, drugs, and beverages. The result was The Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act (1906) which was passed to protect public health.

 

He loved nature and championed the conservation movement of the time. He was a Conservationist and set goals to preserve the land FOR our future. He was not an environmentalist like those in today's Environmentalism movement which has become a political wing of America's Left and a haven for crazies who see humans as the enemy of the environment.

 

TR was so concerned about our environment and energy needs in the future so much that he put aside coal, oil, mineral, and forest reserves that did not come available until 2009. He knew that at the rate that they were using our natural resources during his term in office that there might not be any available one hundred years later. So he put much of those lands aside for the USE of Americans in later generations when he founded the National Parks system and the resource preservation acts.

 

He also championed a woman's right to vote and was a women's suffrage supporter to reform laws against women, especially old laws against a wife's right to inherit her husband's property. In many states at the time it was against the law for women to own property, and in many states after a husband's death ... the property would go to his next male kin.

 

 

None of these that I've listed are anywhere near Liberal positions today.

 

PC, By the standards of the day, these ideas were extremely liberal, however, they needed to be done. Personally I often get tired of people trying to apply modern political party views and ideas to other times, and vise versa. Heck, In their day, the Founding Fathers were SCREAMING liberals and Republicans were often referred to as radicals!

[Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320]

When was land taken from people?

 

My family owns land in Glacier National Park which my grandfather purchased in 1947 from the private owner.

 

I believe there is privately owned land in all the national parks except Yellowstone and that is because there was no private land in Yellowstone when it was made a national park. When a national park was formed all private land remained private.

 

There is a national group called the National Inholders Association which represents private property owners in the national parks and others.

 

Sage Creek Gus

 

 

Gus, it was actually purchased from the people that owned the land not taken. My mistake. But the fact is lots of people HAD to sell they're land to the Feds and move when they didn't want to. Kind of a "eminent domain" type of deal. I saw it on a PBS documentary which makes it all the more credible cause they usually side with "progressives". Rye

 

********

 

I do know that when Glacier National Park was created all the private land remained private. I also know that was true in other national parks and have been told it was the case in all national parks. The property we own in Glacier Park is one of many private holdings in Glacier. The only case that I know of where a private owner was forced to sell property was in the 1960's when the park took a small part of one parcel when they built a new road.

 

Up until the 1970's when a private parcel came up for sale the park would usually buy it by outbidding any other offers. They would then remove any structures and allow it to go back to natural. But since then the park has not even attempted to buy private property when it comes up for sale. In fact, I think there is a house for sale on McDonald Lake right now. This has really benefited us. There were a lot of private residences around us when my grandfather first built our place. In the years since the park bought a lot of surrounding parcels so our place has actually become more isolated over the years. My grandfather paid $300 for this parcel in 1947. It's about 1 1/2 acres with a creek running through it. The water is snow melt from the previous winter and we just throw a hose in the creek and turn on the pump for our drinking water.

 

Maybe some land was purchased for eminent domain reasons.

 

Many people assume there are restrictions on the property because it is in a national park but that is not true. We can sell it to anyone we want at any time.

 

About a quarter mile from our place is Charlie Russell's "Bullhead Lodge" which was his summer place in Glacier Park. It is on private land so the park does not let it be known it still exists. It is not lived in but the people who own it keep it up. They have a newer residence they live in.

 

Sage Creek Gus

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Today in a lot of areas, where possible, Federal land (Nat Forest, BLM, Nat Mon,NP) the feds like to trade when they can. When there is a piece that they want they negotiate with the owner and try and trade another piece of fed land for it.

[U B Mountain #40498]

New book just out.

Made the NY Best Seller list.

BECOMING TEDDY ROOSEVELT..How a Maine Guide inspired America's 26th President.

By Andrew Vietze Reg Maine Guied & a Park Ranger at Baxter State park.

I am reading it now.

Covers his childhood days thru Harvard and so on.

Good reading and detailed.

The guide is William Sewall from Island Falls Maine.

$22.95 from Down East Books.

[Guest Paniolo Cowboy SASS #75875]

PC, By the standards of the day, these ideas were extremely liberal, however, they needed to be done. Personally I often get tired of people trying to apply modern political party views and ideas to other times, and vise versa. Heck, In their day, the Founding Fathers were SCREAMING liberals and Republicans were often referred to as radicals!

 

You're absolutely right! Language changes. Linguistic anthropology is the study of how language influences social life.

 

The word "Liberal" today does not mean the same thing as it did during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, or the Industrial Revolution.

 

The concepts of Big Government solutions being the fix for all of societies ills, socialism, communism, and/or a welfare state, which are the basis for Modern Liberalism, are all extremely foreign concepts to the Progressive Movement of the late 19th Century which was more concerned about improving working and social conditions, corruption in both government and big business, and abuse and over taxation of the American people.

 

The Progressive Movement of the late 19th Century was a knee jerk reaction to the corruption of big corporations and crooked government institutions with fixed political machines (ie: like in Chicago). It began in cities with settlement workers and reformers who were interested in helping hard working blue collar Americans who faced harsh unfair conditions both at home and at work. The reformers spoke out about the need for laws regulating horrid tenement housing, almost slave-like child labor, and terrible working conditions for women.

 

By the way, Republicans after the Civil War were called "Radicals" because of their passion for social justice and their desire for better working conditions for Americans. The Progressive Movement of the late 19th century was just an extention of that passion to look out for Americans.

 

Today we have people with the same ideals, we call ourselves Conservatives.

 

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Well said

[Doc Shapiro]

PC, out of curiosity, how much reading have you done into the late 19th century progressive movement? IMO, you haven't characterized it correctly. They were quite interested in big govt. solutions/socialism. They also realized that it couldn't be done quickly, but by incrementalism. President Wilson was a big proponent of it. Both Roosevelts continued along the path. They went into hiding for a while, but are out again now in force.

[DocWard]

PC, By the standards of the day, these ideas were extremely liberal, however, they needed to be done. Personally I often get tired of people trying to apply modern political party views and ideas to other times, and vise versa. Heck, In their day, the Founding Fathers were SCREAMING liberals and Republicans were often referred to as radicals!

 

I am going to disagree on only one point. Even though we refer to Classical Liberalism in describing the political philosophy of the founders, they were actually "conservative." How so? They started out desiring to be recognized as Englishmen, and wanting the traditional rights, those recognized as being inherent as Englishmen. Even when they felt obligated to break political ties, the Declaration of Independence set forth how they had not been treated as Englishmen and why they felt compelled to seek independence and "separate and equal station." In establishing a new government, many of the rights insisted upon were considered ancient rights among Englishmen, including our right to keep and bear arms, which could be traced back to the early duty to bear arms in defense of the realm. A great book on that subject is "To Keep and Bear Arms: Origins of an Anglo-American Right" by Joyce Lee Malcolm.

[Nate Clayton, SASS #63196]

Interesting read: by Tom Woods

 

"Mark Twain, who met with the president twice, declared him "clearly insane."

 

DiLorenzo is about a subtle as a jackhammer: Bully Boy ...he is no fan of Lincoln either.

 

-Nate