Tag Archives: madison

More on language – Adams vs. Morris

Wethepeople

Words matter.

John Adams famously wrote the Constitution of Massachusetts in 1779 – which in large part was the blueprint for the Federal version by Morris and others in Philadelphia some eight years later.

But, listen to the different preambles – and the choice of language:

Adams:

The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government, is to secure the existence of the body politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying in safety and tranquility their natural rights, and the blessings of life: and whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness.

Morris:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Imagine the US Constitution opening with the words “The End”.

Nuance of Language – by James Madison.

Jmadison

Freedom, not Consent.

When drafting the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776 – George Mason put in a sentence regarding the free and secular Government that James Madison improved in a small, but very important way.

The original called for: “the fullest toleration in the exercise of religion.”

Madison rewrote this to: “All men are equally entitled to the full and free exercise of religion”

And his argument was this:

Toleration implies those who tolerate: superiors who grant freedom to others. But who can be trusted to pass such judgments, even if the judgment is to live and let live?

[..] No one could be said to allow men to worship as they wished; they worshipped as they wished because it was their right as men. Madison’s language shifted the ground of religious liberty from a tolerant society or state, to human nature, and lifted the Declaration of Rights from an event in Virginia history to a landmark of world intellectual history.

Well done.

Federalist Papers – with brilliant introduction..

Just started a new book – with an 80 page introduction to the Federalist Papers by Isaac Kramnick, a Professor of Government at Harvard. And the walk-through of context and talks is brilliant. The camps of anti-federalists (politics of liberty) vs. federalists (politics of strength and stability) is framing much of the debate of national politics even today.

The fundamental choices of how to mix and balance the periphery vs. center, unity vs. independence, co-operation vs. fighting, and States vs. Union is discussed at length.

And the dual motive of mixing democracy, aristocracy and tyranny – with that of seperating powers in a judicial, executive and legislative branch – is hard to grasp in its complexity.

Another topic is the wealth of human experience and history that is baked into the constitution – millennias of trial and error with empires, city-states and nation-states – as well as a very honest (to some cynic..) and mixed view of human nature. All into a short and clear document with seven articles.

And the preamble is one of the most beautiful things ever written. Not one word by coincidence or in excess. Marvellous.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

So now it’s on to 400 pages and 85 articles, with Madison and Hamilton selling the pros and pragmatics of a strong central government and forceful Union – both in domestic and international affairs…

More..