Writes Daniel Pitrone:
9:42 pm on December 12, 2009My home state, good ole PA, sorrowfully ratified the Constitution on this day, Dec. 12th, in 1787.
Dissenters of the ratification openly charged that “its establishment will annihilate the state governments, and produce one consolidated government that will eventually and speedily issue in the supremacy of despotism.”
Another great quote: “As this government will not enjoy the confidence of the people, but be executed by force, it will be a very expensive and burthensome government. The standing army must be numerous, and as a further support, it will be the policy of this government to multiply officers in every department; judges, collectors, tax-gathers, excisemen, and the whole host of revenue officers will swarm over the land, devouring the hard earnings of the industrious. Like the locusts of old, impoverishing and desolating all before them.”
And yet one more: “it is the opinion of the most celebrated writers on government, and confirmed by uniform experience, that very extensive territory cannot be governed on the principles of freedom, otherwise than by a confederation of republics, possessing all the powers of internal government; but united in the management of their general, and foreign concerns.”
The shell-shock came when I saw the names of the signers, which included a fellow whose good name will forever be sullied by one of history’s monsters. His name was Abraham Lincoln.
However, it is nice knowing there was at least ONE honest Abe!
