Very, very interesting, Jon! Thank you for posting this (especially on this day when we--though not Patrick Henry's generation--inaugurate a president every four years). Best-- --Jurretta On Jan 20, 2006, at 11:54 AM, Jon Kukla wrote: > While looking for something else this morning, I stumbled again upon > Patrick Henry's opening speech on June 5, 1788, in the Virginia > Convention > that was debating whether to ratify the proposed new Constitution of > the > United States. Henry had reservations about the potential abuse of > presidential power : > jk > > If your American chief be a man of ambition and abilities, how easy is > it > for him to render himself absolute! The army is in his hands, and if > he be > a man of address, it will be attached to him, and it will be the > subject > of long meditation with him to seize the first auspicious moment to > accomplish his design, and, sir, will the American spirit solely > relieve > you when this happens? I would rather infinitely--and I am sure most of > this Convention are of the same opinion--have a king, lords, and > commons, > than a government so replete with such insupportable evils. If we make > a > king we may prescribe the rules by which he shall rule his people, and > interpose such checks as shall prevent him from infringing them; but > the > president, in the field, at the head of his army, can prescribe the > terms > on which he shall reign master, so far that it will puzzle any American > ever to get his neck from under the galling yoke. I can not with > patience > think of this idea. If ever he violate the laws, one of two things will > happen: he will come at the head of the army to carry everything before > him, or he will give bail, or do what Mr. Chief Justice will order > him. If > he be guilty, will not the recollection of his crimes teach him to make > one bold push for the American throne? Will not the immense difference > between being master of everything and being ignominiously tried and > punished powerfully excite him to make this bold push? But, sir, where > is > the existing force to punish him? Can he not, at the head of his army, > beat down every opposition? Away with your president! we shall have a > king: the army will salute him monarch; your militia will leave you, > and > assist in making him king, and fight against you: and what have you to > oppose this force? What will then become of you and your rights? Will > not > absolute despotism ensue? > > > Dr. Jon Kukla, Executive Vice-President > Red Hill - The Patrick Henry National Memorial > 1250 Red Hill Road > Brookneal, Virginia 24528 > www.redhill.org > Phone 434-376-2044 or 800-514-7463 > > Fax 434-376-2647 > > - M. Lynn Davis, Office Manager > - Karen Gorham-Smith, Associate Curator > - Edith Poindexter, Curator > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York, 9/11. New Orleans, 8/29. Feel safer now? To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html