Wednesday, November 12. 2003
It lasted more than 200 years. How much longer?
"This Constitution will fail, as others have before it, due to the corruption of the people, who, once they have become totally corrupt, will turn to depotism, because only a despot can govern them " -- Ben FranklinI never heard that quote before, but Gore Vidal pointed it out on NPR this morning during Morning Edition, while talking about his new book, Inventing A Nation.
It sounds like Ben didn't think that we'd last this long. But the defenders of democracy have become complacent. Vice President Thomas Jefferson and Congressman James Madison (Both Republicans, and members of the opposition) were there to fight the Sedition Act, even though just the fact that they conspired to find a way to overturn it risked everything - because in doing so, they violated the very act they were fighting.
In 1798, we feared war with France, and the Federalist Congress passed the Alien Act and the Sedition Act. In 2001, we feared terrorist conspiracies, and we combined those 2 acts into a single law - the USA Patriot Act.
Who will defend democracy now? The Democratic opposition is weak and running scared. And it's looking like Ben may have been right, all along.
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OK, how can both Jefferson and Madison be Republicans when the Republican party did not exist. (Abe Lincoln was the 1st Republican president).
BTW, The Ben Franklin quote: I can't find any reference to it on google at all. Are you sure he said it or did Gore Vidal say he said it?
Jefferson and Madison were members of the Democratic-Republican party, usually shortened to the "Republicans". Yeah, it's a different party.
And yes, Gore Vidal said it, and said it wasn't a widely known quote. I can't find it anywhere, either, but I'm going to keep looking.
And yes, Gore Vidal said it, and said it wasn't a widely known quote. I can't find it anywhere, either, but I'm going to keep looking.
Web Results 1 - 30 of about 134 for Constitution corruption people totally corrupt despotism only despot govern. (0.44 seconds)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: US Foreign Policy Forum
... Benjamin Franklin will be right in his statement: "This constitution will fail, as
others have before it, due to the corruption of the people who, once ...
seattlepi.nwsource.com/forum/boards/ viewtopic.asp?topicid=37155 - 30k - Cached - Similar pages
netvironments |
... He said, 'This constitution will fail, as others have before it, due to the corruption
of the people who, once they have become totally corrupt, will ...
www.netvironments.org/blog/archives/ 2003_11_01_archives_html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
Destutt de Tracy, A Commentary and Review of Montesquieu's Spirit ...
... with its danger; until that corruption, already become ... result from the principles
of that constitution, rather than ... These people wish to do every thing, and ...
www.econlib.org/library/Tracy/ddtMSL28.html - 30k - May 4, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
Rousseau: On the Origin of Inequality: Second Part
... a people has departed from its primitive constitution, and of ... while this is the consequence
of excessive corruption. ... on the testimony of other people than on ...
www.constitution.org/jjr/ineq_04.htm - 82k - Cached - Similar pages
Additional Observations (1777) Additional Observations on the ...
... whence they spring, or that inward constitution, and right ... is there any injury to
a people which, with ... It is not, however, every degree of corruption that will ...
www.constitution.org/price/price_4.txt - 64k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.constitution.org ]
Richard Price: Additional Observations (1777)
... nor is there any injury to a people which, with ... In order to this, corruption must
pass a certain ... to this country by describing its constitution of government ...
classicliberal.tripod.com/price/ancl02.html - 47k - Cached - Similar pages
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: US Foreign Policy Forum
... Benjamin Franklin will be right in his statement: "This constitution will fail, as
others have before it, due to the corruption of the people who, once ...
seattlepi.nwsource.com/forum/boards/ viewtopic.asp?topicid=37155 - 30k - Cached - Similar pages
netvironments |
... He said, 'This constitution will fail, as others have before it, due to the corruption
of the people who, once they have become totally corrupt, will ...
www.netvironments.org/blog/archives/ 2003_11_01_archives_html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
Destutt de Tracy, A Commentary and Review of Montesquieu's Spirit ...
... with its danger; until that corruption, already become ... result from the principles
of that constitution, rather than ... These people wish to do every thing, and ...
www.econlib.org/library/Tracy/ddtMSL28.html - 30k - May 4, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
Rousseau: On the Origin of Inequality: Second Part
... a people has departed from its primitive constitution, and of ... while this is the consequence
of excessive corruption. ... on the testimony of other people than on ...
www.constitution.org/jjr/ineq_04.htm - 82k - Cached - Similar pages
Additional Observations (1777) Additional Observations on the ...
... whence they spring, or that inward constitution, and right ... is there any injury to
a people which, with ... It is not, however, every degree of corruption that will ...
www.constitution.org/price/price_4.txt - 64k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.constitution.org ]
Richard Price: Additional Observations (1777)
... nor is there any injury to a people which, with ... In order to this, corruption must
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