Words from a founding father

[penguin42.livejournal.com]

To judge from the conduct of the opposite parties, we shall be led to conclude that they will mutually hope to evince the justness of their opinions, and to increase the number of their converts by the loudness of their declamations and the bitterness of their invectives. An enlightened zeal for the energy and efficiency of government will be stigmatized as the offspring of a temper fond of despotic power and hostile to the principles of liberty. An over-scrupulous jealousy of danger to the rights of the people, which is more commonly the fault of the head than of the heart, will be represented as mere pretense and artifice, the stale bait for popularity at the expense of the public good. It will be forgotten, on the one hand, that jealousy is the usual concomitant of love, and that the noble enthusiasm of liberty is apt to be infected with a spirit of narrow and illiberal distrust. On the other hand, it will be equally forgotten that the vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty; that, in the contemplation of a sound and well-informed judgment, their interest can never be separated; and that a dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.

- Alexander Hamilton

It's amazing to me how much this passage applies to the political discourse of today as much as it did 200+ years ago. It's especially poignant how many of those spouting the bitterest invectives are those calling back to the ideals of the founding fathers. Well perhaps they should pay more attention to what the founding fathers actually said. Of course my bias is showing, and while I am inclined to emphasize such phrases as "a dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people" I believe there is wisdom in this paragraph for both sides of the debate.

What do you think of this passage? Does it serve as a warning for where our political discourse might be headed? Is Hamilton too obviously favoring one "side" of the debate? Of course he's trying to sell the Constitution so he would favor one side, but it's interesting to remember that the Constitution which is now lauded as the cornerstone of our liberty was once viewed as a huge intrusion into state and personal sovereignty.

Comments

[yahvah.livejournal.com]

Alexander Hamilton is what's wrong with America today.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

No, Jefferson is what's wrong with America today. May he rot in the Ninth Circle for all eternity.

[ghoststrider.livejournal.com]

Not surprised that you have no love of liberty, UL.

That's right...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... without Hamilton, many American institutions would not have existed. Perhaps even Reagan and Nixon would have been obviated by the absence of Hamilton.