A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well digested plan is requisite: And their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories, as tend to render them independent on others, for essential, particularly for military supplies.
---George Washington's First Annual Message to Congress (January 8, 1790)
Sound familiar?
Here's another piece of inspiration from G. Washington to his men, dated July 2, 1776:
"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves, whether they are to have any property they can call their own, whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance or the most abject submission. This is all we can expect. We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die. Our own country's honor [calls] upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail we shall become infamous to the whole world. Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions. The eyes of all our countrymen are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings and praises if, happily, we are the instrument of saving them from the tyranny meditated against them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each other and show the whole world that a freeman contending for LIBERTY on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth."
If this doesn't move you...then you're probably dead! @)
Quote from: The Machine on December 26, 2008, 10:13:04 PM
Here's another piece of inspiration from G. Washington to his men, dated July 2, 1776:
"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves, whether they are to have any property they can call their own, whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance or the most abject submission This is why, when they prevailed, they gave US a Third Option, that being a government in the control of the People, for the People. So that the "unborn Millions" would not be saddled with the two choices they were faced with.. This is all we can expect. We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die. Our own country's honor [calls] upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail we shall become infamous to the whole world. Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions. The eyes of all our countrymen are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings and praises if, happily, we are the instrument of saving them from the tyranny meditated against them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each other and show the whole world that a freeman contending for LIBERTY on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth."
If this doesn't move you...then you're probably dead! @)
Thank you for posting this!
I took the liberty of highlighting some parts that directly apply to Appleseed, as well as a small bit of commentary.
You put my thoughts into words, ff! O0 Kinda' why I posted this...to provoke original thought, and the relevance of this letter to Appleseed's mission.
I thought this quote from G. Washington's Farewell Address might be appropriate to work into a historical presentation at an AS event:
"If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpations; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed."
As usual; the Founders got it right--and through the years--our modern "government" has done it so wrong. Think Executive Orders, War on Drugs, FDA, Federal Reserve, and a host of other things that were instituted without following Constitutional protocol. This can be a good object lesson for participants to see how a break from our Heritage can only lead us back into the yoke of bondage.
I have been doing a CONSIDERABLE amount of reading on the founders... and I am repeatedly amazed at how they managed to predict so many of the troubles we are facing, and I have to laugh out loud when I hear someone say the constitution is dead.
The founders are one reason why I firmly believe our nation was ordained by God. How else can you possibly explain our immense good fortune to have these amazingly thoughtful and intelligent men at the same place, at the same time, with the same goals?
Love the quote. I am starting to write my July 4 Tea Party speech, and I think this may very well find a place in it.