Destroying America from the inside.

Have you ever read the Constitution of the United States? If you have
you already know that the document is unlike that of the legislation
written in our lifetimes. The Constitution is clearverly and
simplistically brilliant. It spells out in simple english the rights
and responsibilities that are entrusted to both Government officials
as well as common man. Today's legislation is written in such
legalmuck that it tends to talk like politicians..out both sides of
the paper... But almost before the ink was dry on the constitution
there were those (even those who authored many words) conspiring on
its ultimate demise.

The big fly in the ointment of the story glorifying our "Founding
Fathers" is the state of American politics during the 1790?s ? an era
of consistent growth in government power that produced some of the
most tyrannical policies and apocalyptic rhetoric in American
political history. John Ferling?s short and entertaining book, Adams
vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, offers an excellent
and accessible treatment of the struggle between Adams? Federalists
and Jefferson?s Republicans. The dynamic in Ferling?s book is between
three men: Adams, Jefferson, and Hamilton. Adams disliked Jefferson,
Jefferson was suspicious of Adams, and both loathed Alexander Hamilton.

Such grave political differences were no doubt partly a product of the
fact that Thomas Jefferson was not at the Constitutional Convention of
1787, and not surprisingly, Jefferson had never become entirely
comfortable with the new Constitution.

Like many "anti-Federalists" of the age, Jefferson remained fearful of
the Constitution being used to centralize power in the hands of a
consolidated government. Jefferson had much to be conserned about as
Charles Beard has noted, "such were the agencies of power created to
make the will of the national government a living force in every
community from New Hampshire to Georgia, from the seaboard to the
frontier."

The Federalist era was an era of burdensome taxation and heavy-handed
enforcement. The Whiskey rebellion of 1794 that arose out of the
odious excise tax dreamed up by Hamilton, was quickly put down by
military force ? the first action of its kind in the history of the
American republic. George Washington, enraged that anyone would dare
oppose his government?s taxes, raged at the tax resisters denouncing
them as democratic rabble. Jefferson found this whole display to be
quite offensive, and labeled the effort to crush the tax rebellion as
nothing more than making "war on our own citizens."

The low point of the Federalist Era was the signing of the Alien and
Sedition Acts into law. The acts permitted the United States
government to deport any foreign citizen that the government found
displeasing. They also imposed fines and jail terms for up to 5 years
"for those who uttered or published ?any false, scandalous, and
malicious? statement against the United States government or its
officials."

While we like to glamorize the period of our independence and the
strong ideals of our founding authors it is important to keep in mind
that the true seeds of liberty and freedom lies not in our historical
documents but in the hearts and souls of our citizenry. As evidenced
by the tyrranical tendancies of the early administrations, we cannot
be anything but vigilant if we hope to continue to enjoy the liberies
of America.

Those who study Colonial America and the constitution would agree that
the threat to our nationals sovereignty and the freedoms we espouse is
greater from those who wield elected office without conscience than
from any foreign aggression.