On the eve of the 4th of July, 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, detailing his thoughts about the upcoming Declaration of Independence.This is just a part of that letter:
"I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this Declaration, and support an defend these States."I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.
You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.
The founders of our country wanted and laid out plans for a federal government with limited powers with all remaining rights and powers belonging to the States and to individuals. They had seen and endured what havoc a 'supreme' government could cause through central control of their lives.
233 years later it still requires toil and blood and treasure to maintain this Declaration... and part of the battle is to keep our freedoms safe from foreign oppression, but also from some within our own country and government who would try to take over control of our lives, little by little.
We no longer have a federal government with limited powers, but there is still time to preserve what rights the States still have and we as individuals still have if we are willing to give our toil, blood and treasure to maintain that "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
We have a choice -- independence as free people or dependence as wards of the state. I choose the former and I will share my toil, blood and treasure to maintain that Declaration. As the Declaration says in its last words, just above the signatures of those brave men who risked everything...
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
Have a safe and happy 4th of July and remember to say a prayer for all of our men and women who serve to protect our freedom.
2 comments:
Nice post and important words to ponder.
Very nice post Dan. It is awful to realize what happened to so many of the men that wrote and signed our country's most important document. They had to have been some of the most brave men (and women) God ever created.
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