>From John Quincy Adams, "Orations" (http://www.selfknowledge.net/b/objqa10.htm) The Revolution itself was a work of thirteen years--and had never been completed until that day [The writing of the Constitution]. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States are parts of one consistent whole, founded upon one and the same theory of government, then new in practice, though not as a theory, for it had been working itself into the mind of man for many ages, and had been especially expounded in the writings of Locke, though it had never before been adopted by a great nation in practice. There are yet, even at this day, many speculative objections to this theory. Even in our own country there are still philosophers who deny the principles asserted in the Declaration, as self-evident truths--who deny the natural equality and inalienable rights of man--who deny that the people are the only legitimate source of power--who deny that all just powers of government are derived from the consent of the governed. Neither your time, nor perhaps the cheerful nature of this occasion, permit me here to enter upon the examination of this anti-revolutionary theory, which arrays State sovereignty against the constituent sovereignty of the people, and distorts the Constitution of the United States into a league of friendship between confederate corporations. I speak to matters of fact. There is the Declaration of Independence, and there is the Constitution of the United States--let them speak for themselves. The grossly immoral and dishonest doctrine of despotic State sovereignty, the exclusive judge of its own obligations, and responsible to no power on earth or in heaven, for the violation of them, is not there. The Declaration says, it is not in me. The Constitution says, it is not in me. ............John Quincy Adams, April 30, 1839 Michael Sondow ================================================================= INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF INDEPENDENT INTERNET USERS http://www.iciiu.org (ICIIU) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel(718)846-7482 Fax(603)754-8927 =================================================================
