History note: On this very day, America celebrates her 238th anniversary of declaring independence on July 4th, 1776 and regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire.
The sun was blazing in the morning yet there was a cool summer breeze to take the edge off. We visited a Richmond Battlefield Park with some patriotic colored balloons and an American flag, not only to commemorate the rich history of this town and enjoy the park, but to remember that we are able to appreciate every bit of freedom and liberty bestowed upon us by our Creator thanks to the founding fathers and countless sacrifices.
My objective of this blog entry is to paint the colors of patriotism and therefore, I am going to include awesome quotes from the Founding Fathers of America with each picture taken today in the battlefield park.
“I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.” - Thomas Jefferson: 1816
“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.” George Washington: Circular to the States, May 9, 1753
“I rejoice in a belief that intellectual light will spring up in the dark corners of the earth; that freedom of enquiry will produce liberality of conduct; that mankind will reverse the absurd position that the many were, made for the few; and that they will not continue slaves in one part of the globe, when they can become freemen in another.” – George Washington: draft of First Inaugural Address, April 1789
“The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world.” – George Washington: First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789
“Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.” – Samuel Adams: Essay in the Public Advertiser, 1749
“The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule.” Samuel Adams: The Rights of the Colonists, November 20, 1772
“Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.” – John Adams: Defense of the Constitutions, 1787
“A constitution founded on these principles introduces knowledge among the people, and inspires them with a conscious dignity becoming freemen; a general emulation takes place, which causes good humor, sociability, good manners, and good morals to be general. That elevation of sentiment inspired by such a government, makes the common people brave and enterprising. That ambition which is inspired by it makes them sober, industrious, and frugal.” – John Adams: Thoughts on Government, 1776
“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.” – John Adams: Letter to Abigail Adams, 1780
“It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.” – John Adams: Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1756
“The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society depend so much upon an upright and skillful administration of justice, that the judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both, and both should be checks upon that.” – John Adams: Thoughts on Government, 1776
“I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.” – Benjamin Franklin: On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor, November 1766
“The preservation of a free Government requires not merely, that the metes and bounds which separate each department of power be invariably maintained; but more especially that neither of them be suffered to overleap the great Barrier which defends the rights of the people. The Rulers who are guilty of such an encroachment, exceed the commission from which they derive their authority, and are Tyrants. The People who submit to it are governed by laws made neither by themselves nor by an authority derived from them, and are slaves.” – Thomas Paine: 1785
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” – Thomas Jefferson: Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802) 3rd president of US (1743 – 1826)
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” – Thomas Jefferson
“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. “ - Thomas Jefferson
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” – Thomas Jefferson
“But if your spirit should revolt at this; if you have sense enough to discover, and spirit enough to oppose tyranny, under whatever garb it may assume; whether it be the plain coat of republicanism, or the splendid robe of royalty; if you have yet learned to discriminate between a people and a cause, between men and principles — awake! — attend to your situation, and redress yourselves. If the present moment be lost, every future effort is in vain; and your threats then will be as empty as your entreaties now.” – George Washington: The Newburgh Address, March 15, 1783
“History, in general, only informs us what bad government is.” – Thomas Jefferson: Letter to John Norvell, June 14, 1807
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” – Patrick Henry
It is unbelievable how time flies seeing how I am observing my fourth FOURTH of July today. Although I was not born in this country, I am forever grateful for what America’s founding fathers have done for this nation. Let us continue to spread the gospel of liberty.