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Message: 13th Principle--permanent... protect the people from the human frailties of their
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13th
Principle
A constitution should be structured to
permanently protect the people from
the human frailties of their rulers.
Principle
A constitution should be structured to
permanently protect the people from
the human frailties of their rulers.
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Distrust of Power Not Necessarily
Disrespect for Leaders
Disrespect for Leaders
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The Founders had more confidence in the people than
they did in the leaders of the people, especially trusted
leaders, even themselves. They felt the greatest danger arises
when a leader is so completely trusted that the people feel no
anxiety to watch him. Alexander Hamilton wrote:
"For it is a truth, which the experience of all ages
has attested, that the people are commonly most in
danger when the means of injuring their rights are in
the possession of those [toward] whom they entertain
the least suspicion." (The Federalist Papers, No. 25, p.
Two hundred years of American history have
demonstrated the wisdom of the Founders in proclaiming a
warning against the frailties of human nature in the people's
elected or appointed leaders. Every unconstitutional action
has usually been justified because it was for a "good cause."
Every illegal transfer of power from one department to
another has been excused as "necessary." The whole
explosion of bureaucratic power in Washington has been the
result of "trusting" benign political leaders, most of whom
really did have good intentions. Thomas Jefferson struck out
with all the force that tongue and pen could muster against
trusting in human nature. Said he:
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"It would be a dangerous delusion were a
confidence in the men of our choice to silence our fears
for the safety of our rights; that confidence is everywhere
the parent of despotism; free government is founded in
jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not
confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions to
bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with
power; that our Constitution has accordingly fixed the
limits to which, and no farther, our confidence may go....
"In questions of power, then, let no more be said of
confidence in man, BUT BIND HIM DOWN FROM
MISCHIEF BY THE CHAINS OF THE CONSTITUTION."
(The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, Annals of America,
4:65-66; emphasis added.)
"It would be a dangerous delusion were a
confidence in the men of our choice to silence our fears
for the safety of our rights; that confidence is everywhere
the parent of despotism; free government is founded in
jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not
confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions to
bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with
power; that our Constitution has accordingly fixed the
limits to which, and no farther, our confidence may go....
"In questions of power, then, let no more be said of
confidence in man, BUT BIND HIM DOWN FROM
MISCHIEF BY THE CHAINS OF THE CONSTITUTION."
(The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, Annals of America,
4:65-66; emphasis added.)
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"It may be a reflection on human nature that such
devices [as Constitutional chains] should be necessary
to control the abuses of government. But what is
government itself but the greatest of all reflections on
human nature? ... If angels were to govern men, neither
external nor internal controls on government would be
necessary. [But lacking these,] in framing a government
which is to be administered by men over men, the great
difficulty lies in this: YOU MUST FIRST ENABLE THE
GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL THE GOVERNED; AND IN
THE NEXT PLACE OBLIGE IT TO CONTROL ITSELF."
(The Federalist Papers, No. 51, p. 322; emphasis added.)
devices [as Constitutional chains] should be necessary
to control the abuses of government. But what is
government itself but the greatest of all reflections on
human nature? ... If angels were to govern men, neither
external nor internal controls on government would be
necessary. [But lacking these,] in framing a government
which is to be administered by men over men, the great
difficulty lies in this: YOU MUST FIRST ENABLE THE
GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL THE GOVERNED; AND IN
THE NEXT PLACE OBLIGE IT TO CONTROL ITSELF."
(The Federalist Papers, No. 51, p. 322; emphasis added.)
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Why the Original Constitution
Will Never Be Obsolete
Will Never Be Obsolete
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And that is what the Constitution is all about --
providing freedom from abuse by those in authority. Anyone
who says the American Constitution is obsolete just because
social and economic conditions have changed does not
understand the real genius of the Constitution. It was
designed to control something which HAS NOT CHANGED
AND WILL NOT CHANGE -- NAMELY, HUMAN NATURE.
And that is what the Constitution is all about --
providing freedom from abuse by those in authority. Anyone
who says the American Constitution is obsolete just because
social and economic conditions have changed does not
understand the real genius of the Constitution. It was
designed to control something which HAS NOT CHANGED
AND WILL NOT CHANGE -- NAMELY, HUMAN NATURE.
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But where are the encroachments of abusive rulers most
likely to attack? Is there some basic right which self aggrandizing
politicians seek to destroy first? The Founders
said there was. Mankind has so many rights that it is
sometimes difficult to keep a watchful eye on all of them.
Therefore, the Founders said we should especially
concentrate on the preservation of one particular right
because all other rights are related to it. This special object of
concern is identified in the next principle.
likely to attack? Is there some basic right which self aggrandizing
politicians seek to destroy first? The Founders
said there was. Mankind has so many rights that it is
sometimes difficult to keep a watchful eye on all of them.
Therefore, the Founders said we should especially
concentrate on the preservation of one particular right
because all other rights are related to it. This special object of
concern is identified in the next principle.
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