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Back to the Forum Archives We have the trite phrase, "Founding Fathers." What does it mean? When I read about the historic events that produced the United States, I find there were two groups of founders. The first group were the revolutionaries who wrested the New World away from England. These were the men who made the United States possible. The men who actually created our constitution and our unique government were, with a few exceptions, a completely different group of men. The first group signed the Declaration of Independence which, of course, caused the revolution. These men put their lives on the line for what they believed in. They were John Hancock, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, Geo. Walton, Wm. Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn, Edward Rutledge, Thos Heyward, junr., Thomas Lynch, junr., Arthur Middleton, Samuel Chase, Wm. Paca, Thos. Stone, Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Ths. Jefferson, Benja. Harrison, Thos. Nelson, jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, Robt. Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benja. Franklin, John Morton, Geo. Clymer, Jas. Smith, Geo. Taylor, James Wilson, Geo. Ross, Caesar Rodney, Geo. Read, Wm. Floyd, Phil. Livingston, Frank Lewis, Lewis Morris, Richd. Stockton, Jno. Witherspoon, Fras. Hopkinson, John Hart, Abra. Clark, Josiah Bartlett, Wm. Whipple, Matthew Thornton, Saml. Adams, John Adams, Robt. Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, C. Step. Hopkins, William Ellery, Roger Sherman, Saml. Huntington, Wm. Williams, and Oliver Wolcott. The second group created and signed the Constitution, which, when ratified, defined the government of the United States. These were G. Washington, John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, Wm: Saml. Johnson, Roger Sherman, Alexander Hamilton, Wil: Livingston, David Brearly, Wm. Paterson, Jona: Dayton, B. Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robt. Morris, Geo. Clymer, Thos. FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouv Morris, Geo: Read, Gunning Bedford jun, John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jaco: Broom, James McHenry, Dan of St Thos. Jenifer, Danl Carroll, John Blair, James Madison Jr., Wm. Blount, Richd. Dobbs Spaight, Hu Williamson, J. Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler, William Few, and Abr Baldwin. The only men who attended both groups were Robt. Morris, B. Franklin, Geo. Clymer, James Wilson, Geo. Read, and Roger Sherman. The difference between these two groups is really very profound. It is really the difference between a revolutionary and a statesman. We can except superior dominant personalities like Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, but, in general, the characteristics that make an effective revolutionary will not make a good statesman. A revolutionary by his very nature will not, indeed cannot, compromise. To be effective, he must be completely true to his cause. Death before dishonor is his creed. The very mark of a statesman, on the other hand, is the ability to seek common ground, to make workable compromises. The statesman must get results without the application of force. In a very real way, the government under George Washington was a government of compromise. It was necessarily so. America was, at that time, a very weak sister. We were bankrupt and surrounded by potential enemies. The war between England and France was a serious threat to us. The fact that we had won our independence did not mean England could not do us great harm. The same was true of France and even Spain. Washington's solution, a very good one, was to declare strict neutrality in the silliness of Europe. That made him unpopular with the pro-English factions and with the pro-French Jeffersonians. Both of these factions wanted to do things that would have got us embroiled in another European war. We could only have lost by doing that. Only a true statesman could have enough good sense to steer the middle course as did George Washington. This was a time when there were already people trying to compromise or undermine the constitution. There were still a huge number of people in America who were against a strong federal establishment that could show a united front to Europe. They, politicians all, would have had America degenerate to a pack of vile squabbling cur states following the already failed European model. Fortunately, we had a true superior dominant to lead us through those times. By the time Washington left office it was too late. The republic was firmly established. The squabbling curs of states rights above reason could and did go on squabbling and back biting, but they could not immediately destroy the republic. They could and did mark the beginning of the decline of American democracy. The very thing they wanted least of all, they finally caused through cheap political trickery and a two party adversarial system. That ultimately caused the complete consolidation of power at the federal level which faces us now. In a very real way, the decline of America began on her eve of triumph. There is no sense trying to affix blame at this point. There
is more than enough to go around. The Federalists under John
Adams were feeling their oats and ramming through some seriously
oppressive laws in an attempt to weaken the rights of the masses.
On the other side, the Jeffersonians were undermining Adams at
every turn. It was not about the long term health of America.
It was, and still is, all about power and damn the republic.
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