"Constitutional Observations" © www.cacp.info

This month’s issue: Principle # 10: "The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people." Happy Birthday America - 228 years old.

Editors Note: Sunday will be a day of celebration in America. It will be the 228^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (DI). While millions now enjoy their freedoms, millions continue to be enslaved and to fight to be free. today it's easy to forget that when the DI was signed 99 percent of the world’s population was living under tyrannical rule – many of them enslaved – with only a few free to worship God according to their own conscience. America's role in bringing freedom to the world has been huge. 

In the 1600s the royal families of England believed it was their "divine right" to "rule the people." The kings declared it was their "God given right to rule." It was an established doctrine. In 1683 Algeron Sidney was bold enough to challenge this doctrine and King Charles II had him beheaded. (This is tyrannical rule - all power in one man.)

Question: Where did the Founding Fathers (FF) get the idea that the right to govern is vested in the whole people?

Answer: From two sources. Their first source was the Bible. The FF’s were well educated men, including a deep knowledge of the Bible in both latin and hebrew. The universities then had been established by the various religions and Bible study was required for graduation, and the FF's were well aware of James' powerful words " the perfect law of liberty" in 1:25. They found this "perfect law of liberty" in the "Law," the writings of Moses who had obtained 60 statutes – including the laws of reparation and organization from God. Moses’ writings are all about government, and self government was their "foundation of liberty." Exodus 18:20 says: "And thou shalt teach them (the people) ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do," and verse 21 was their foundation for their "we the people" principle. These verses were their inspiration for the 1787 Northwest Ordinance which required all states coming into the new union to teach in their schools "religion, morality and knowledge." The FF’s believed that "governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society." They further believed the primary purpose of government is to 1. secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience; 2. the right and control of property; and 3. the protection of life.

Their second source was from the writings of Algeron Sidney and John Locke, and others of that era. After Sidney was beheaded Locke escaped to Holland. In 1690 Locke published his two essays on "The Original Extent and End of Civil Government." The FF’s were impressed by Locke’s 2^nd essay in which he wrote that "All lawful governments ... originate from the people..." These governments have "no power to govern till the people are both at liberty to consent, and have actually consented to allow and confirm in him the power to lead and rule." The FF’s subscribed to the concept that rulers are servants of the people and all sovereign authority to appoint or remove a ruler rests with the people, a concept the FF’s learned from their study of King Alfred, the Anglo Saxon. Hamilton in Federalist Paper (FP) # 22 wrote "The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of ‘the consent of the people.’ The streams of national power ought to flow immediately from that pure, original fountain of all legitimate authority." Madison in FP 46 wrote "...the ultimate authority, wherever the derivative may be found, resides in the people alone." From the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Proclamation of January 23, 1776 they read "It is a maxim that in every government, there must exist, somewhere, a supreme, sovereign, absolute, and uncontrollable power; but this power resides always in the body of the people; and it never was, or can be, delegated to one man, or a few; the great Creator has never given to men a right to vest others with authority over them, unlimited either in duration or degree."

The struggle for freedom never ends. The desire for power to enslave continues. America’s freedom is ever dependent on obedience to "the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God," as Jefferson so eloquently said in the Declaration of Independence – in 1776.   Enlighting words declaring our freedom's source. 

To review past issues of Constitutional Observations go to www.cacp.info Source: Skousen - The 5,000 Year Leap, page 141-145. To obtain "The Making of America," or other Skousen books go to www.cacp.info or www.nccs.net or call 800-388-4512. Become involved in this growing e-grass-roots movement to educate more Americans on the FF’s basic principles of freedom by e-forwarding this e-message to your family & associates. Build an e-base, then add 5 new e-addresses monthly and e-forward. If not you, who? Now, until July l, 2004. DSC