The American Soul
The American Soul
Holy Ground: Where Founders Walked and Modern America Stumbles
Faith shaped America's foundation in ways many have forgotten. Dive deep into the writings of Patrick Henry, who left his family only "the religion of Christ" as inheritance, and Andrew Jackson, who comforted the grieving by pointing them to "our dear Savior." These weren't merely religious men—they were leaders whose Christian worldview fundamentally shaped their vision for our nation.
Why would such devoutly Christian founders create a country intended to separate God from government? They wouldn't—and didn't. While they wisely separated church from state to prevent denominational control, they never intended to remove God, prayer, or biblical principles from public life. This distinction has been deliberately blurred in our modern understanding.
The episode contrasts our comfortable modern Christianity with the brutal martyrdoms detailed in Fox's Book of Martyrs. Under Emperor Valerian's persecution, Christians faced being burned alive, devoured by tigers, and tortured horrifically—yet many voluntarily identified themselves as believers, knowing the consequences. When was the last time our faith cost us anything significant?
I examine how modern America has inverted the founding principles, replacing "taxation without representation" with what might be called "representation without taxation"—where those who contribute little or nothing financially have equal say in how tax dollars are spent. This fundamental shift undermines the constitutional balance our founders established.
The Matthew 20 reading reminds us that Jesus "did not come to be served, but to serve." How often do we embody this principle? Do our daily priorities reveal genuine Christian commitment or comfortable cultural Christianity?
What would you do if being Christian meant risking everything? Our brothers and sisters in Syria, Nigeria, China, and North Korea face this reality daily. Their courage should challenge us to examine whether our faith is merely convenient or truly convictional.
Subscribe to continue exploring the intersection of faith, history, and American identity as we seek to understand how our founding principles can guide us through today's challenges.
The American Soul Podcast
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Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are and whatever part of the day you're in. Sure do appreciate you joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Hopefully it'll give us all some extra tools for our toolbox. Hopefully that will help us all draw a little closer to God and Jesus Christ, both as individuals and as a nation. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast and to tell others about it, thank you so much Very, very grateful for that. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you Very grateful for your prayers. Definitely, definitely need them, father. Thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son, jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins. Despite all of our best efforts, father, despite all of our best efforts, mother, thank you that we can trust you even when we don't see the path forward, Even when we don't feel like anyone is there or listening, to know that you are, that you hear us, much like the Israelites and slavery in Egypt, that you hear our cries, that you know our pain, our fears, our anxieties. Help us to help those around us who are struggling, who are scared, concerned, concerned. Guide our steps, be with our nation, be with those who lead us, help them to make wise decisions, help us to care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy, to care for those who have less than we do, to sign a little bit of light into their lives. And guide us, father, again, all the way home to you and your Son, jesus Christ, in your timing and God, my words here, please. In your son's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to read his word? Have you made time to pray? Have you made time to pray? Have you actually sat and tried to listen to what he has to tell you? Or, as I have done far too often, do you really think deep down that you've done all this and you just keep stubbornly trying to fix whatever problems you have on your own? And if you're married, does your spouse know it? Do you act like it? Do you follow your roles and responsibilities as God laid them out in marriage. Do they go to bed every night knowing that they are your top priority, second only to God and Jesus Christ, or do they wonder? Or do they know that they're not? However, you spend your time each day, folks. That tells the world what your priorities really are. Tells you too, if you're willing to look, but it certainly tells those around you what your priorities actually are, what your values, what your virtues are, what's important to you. So, with that in mind, each day we will get into the Bible and our reading, matthew 20, I believe, the laborers and the vineyard.
Speaker 1:The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard and he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace and to those he said you also go into the vineyard and whatever is right I will give you. And so they went Again. He went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing, and about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around and he said to them and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first. When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying these last men have worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day. But he answered and said to them Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go what is yours and go. But I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? For the last shall be first and the first last, death, resurrection foretold.
Speaker 1:As Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves and on the way he said to them Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify him and on the third day he will be raised up, perferment asked. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons bowing down and making a request of him. And he said to her what do you wish? She said to him, we are able. He said to them, my cup you shall drink, but to sit on my right and on my left. This is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father. And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called to them himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave, just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many Fight for the blind.
Speaker 1:As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him and two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out Lord, have mercy on us, son of David. The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more. Lord, son of David, have mercy on us. And Jesus stopped and called them and said what do you want me to do for you? They said to him Lord, we want our eyes to be opened, moved with compassion. Jesus touched their eyes and immediately they regained their sight and followed him. 34,. They're moved with compassion. Jesus touched their eyes and immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
Speaker 1:I wonder how often we forget that Jesus lived this life, in this mortal body, like we do, that he understood pain and that he had compassion for us. And I wonder how many of us are willing, when Jesus opens our eyes, so to speak, right Whatever in our life has gone awry, when he comes in and heals that brokenness or opens those doors or whatever it is in your life, how willing we are to follow him? Or if we are, and if it's immediate, or if we kind of hem and haw and complain about the way that he fixed whatever situation we're in, about the way that he fixed whatever situation we're in Verse 28,. Just as the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. How many of us have that attitude in our life to serve those around us Versus how many of us are like the disciples we want? We want to be first, we want to be best, we want others to serve us.
Speaker 1:I go back to the Marine Corps often in my life just because of all the lessons that I learned there, or or had emphasized perhaps is a better way of saying it. And one was always lead by example, so that you set an example for those following you. Or, if you're the follower, to look to your leaders, right, your good leaders for that example. Well, there is no better leader than Christ. What example did he set for us in this situation? To serve, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for each of us. And if you don't realize that, folks, I've heard multiple preachers over the years say this but if you were the only person alive, the only person that Christ could save, he would still die on that cross, just for you because he did. And so if you don't realize that, right, do.
Speaker 1:And then the last one today is this very first section about the laborers in the vineyard. There's a couple things here. One, verse 15,. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own, or is your eye envious because I am generous? And again, so the last shall be first and the first last, verse 16. But kind of like we were talking about just now, but the envious part right.
Speaker 1:There's nothing kind or benevolent folks about this attitude that we've had in America for a long time now about giving, taking from those who have to quote, unquote, give to those who don't. We're not being generous or benevolent or anything else. We're just stealing those people that go out and earn that money. They have a right to do what they want with that money. Now do they have a responsibility to care for the poor and the needy, the widow and the orphan? Yeah, absolutely 100%. But that's between them and God. That's not our job to step in and say, well, you're not spending it right, so we're going to take it from you and we're going to spend it right for you. A, because we're probably not going to spend it right, and B, that's just not our responsibility, that's God's right. And then the other little part of this and maybe this is the biggest part I was talking to my father about this recently, actually is how many of us would be like the laborers and would grumble that others got paid the same as we did if we were the ones that had worked all day in the field and we got paid a denarius. And then these other guys that had been sitting around all day because nobody would take them, though, right, you got to remember that part had been sitting around all day and they got paid the same.
Speaker 1:What if the roles were reversed? What if we were those people who were looking for a way to feed our family in the case of this story or the analogy right Trying desperately to find out how to get into heaven? What if that was us heaven? What if that was us? Wouldn't we want that opportunity to come into heaven? Wouldn't we so desperately want that opening that Jesus provides? And so shouldn't we, as believers, never be bitter or jealous or resentful when others find their way into the kingdom. We should encourage that, because we should look at ourselves in their, in their shoes. And, as a little side note, folks, don't forget about storing up for yourselves treasures in heaven, not here on earth. Right that always. That's going to have a difference. You know, if you've come to jesus christ early in your life you're going to have more opportunities to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven than those that wait until that eighth or ninth hour. At least that seems how it would go to me. Alright. So Medal of Honors for Tadeli.
Speaker 1:Andrew O Apple, corporal, us Civil War India Company. 12th West Virginia Infantry US Army. April 2, 1865, petersburg, virginia Citation. Conspicuous gallantry as color bearer in the assault on Fort Gregg. And that's it. That's the entire citation. Accredited to New Manchester, hancock County, west Virginia. Not awarded. Posthumously. Presented May 12, 1865. Born 1845, northampton, northampton County, pennsylvania, united States. Died June 7, 1890, elgin, illinois, united States. Buried Bluff City Cemetery PM 4-166, elgin, illinois, united States.
Speaker 1:Andrew O Apple. Edwin Nelson Appleton, corporal, highest Strength Captain, us Army, china Relief Expedition Boxer Rebellion China Relief Expedition Boxer Rebellion. Captain Newt H Hall's Marine Detachment, uss Newark, us Marine Corps. January 20, 1900, tencent, china Citation. An action against the enemy at In Seng, china, 20th June 1900, crossing the river in a small boat while under heavy enemy fire, appleton assisted in destroying buildings occupied by the enemy. Accredited to New York, not awarded. Posthumously. Born August 28, 1877, brooklyn, kings County, new York, united States. Died September 26, 1937. Buried at the Greenwood Cemetery K-TAC-3-TAC-13724 TAC-41, brooklyn, new York, united States.
Speaker 1:Edwin Nelson Appleton. William H Appleton, us Civil War First Lieutenant, high Strength Brevet, major US Civil War, hotel Company. Fourth US Colored Infantry, us Army, june 15, september 29, 1864, petersburg and New Market Heights, virginia, usa Citation. The First man of the 18th Corps to Enter the Enemy Works at Petersburg, usa Citation. The first man of the 18th Corps to enter the enemy works at Petersburg, virginia, 15 June 1864, valiant service and a desperate assault at the New Market Heights, virginia, inspiring the Union troops by his example of steady courage. Accredited to Portsmouth, rockingham County, new Hampshire, not awarded, posthumously presented February 18, 1891, born March 24, 1843, who Sequestre, merrimack County, new Hampshire, united States. Died September 9, 1912. Son Cook, new Hampshire, united States. Buried Evergreen Cemetery, pembroke, new Hampshire, united States.
Speaker 1:William H Appleton. One more James W Archer, First Lieutenant and Adjutant US Civil War, 59th Indiana Infantry US Army, october 4th 1862, 4th Mississippi, usa. Citation as follows Voluntarily took command of another regiment with the consent of one or more of his seniors who were present, rallied the command and led it in the assault. Spencer, owen County, indiana, not awarded. Posthumously. Presented August 2, 1897. Born September 6, 1828, born September 6, 1828, edgard County, illinois, united States. Died January 28, 1908, spencer, indiana, united States. Riverside Cemetery, t-tag 9, spencer, indiana, united States.
Speaker 1:James W Archer Just some names to remember again folks Andrew O Apple, civil War.
Speaker 1:Edwin N Appleton, sign of Relief relief expedition, the Boxer Rebellion, william H Appleton, civil War and James W Archer, civil War Men who risked so much for our country're willing to give so much, and the women who loved and supported and encouraged them.
Speaker 1:Huge deal. So a little bit of history. I do it far too often. If you've been on the podcast, you've heard me talk about this before presentation on a particular battle and we had about five or six ums in a five-minute presentation that we could use before. It was an automatic failure. If you're like a lot of people today, try some time to carry on a conversation and watch how often you say uh or um conversation and watch how often you say uh or um, or a lot of us. It's more difficult than it appears, which is sad. At any rate, a little bit of history today.
Speaker 1:I think we forget too often how strong the faith was of our founders and early leaders. The faith was of our founders and early leaders, and that's really important because it gives a clue as to how they would have set up a nation logically, right. For example, if you're a huge proponent of healthy food for adults, kids, people, just in general it would be really strange for you to start a company that mass produced food like Cheetos and Oreos which I love, by the way both of those Fried foods really fatty, unhealthy, unnourishing foods Right? That would be strange If you went out every day and you talked to people about how important it was to eat healthy and then you started a company that made the exact opposite kind of food. A people would think that you were a hypocrite and B they wouldn't really trust you much on anything else. And C it would just be really strange, it would be illogical, that wouldn't make much sense. And so it's important to go back and listen to the faith of some of these men and women from early in our nation, before we were a nation, after we were a nation, because it would be really strange to hear these men and women talking about their faith in God and his son, jesus Christ and then build a nation that completely rejected God and Jesus Christ. That wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.
Speaker 1:So I've got a couple I wanted to read to you today. The first is from Patrick Henry, and this is he wrote his sister Anne in Kentucky upon learning of the death of her husband, colonel William. Christian. Would to God I could say something to give relief to the dearest of women and sisters. My heart is full. Perhaps I may never see you in this world. My heart is full. Perhaps I may never see you in this world. Oh, may we meet in heaven, to which the merits of Jesus will carry those who love and serve him. Heaven will, I trust, give you its choicest comfort and preserve your family. Such is the prayer of him who thinks it is his honor and pride to be your affectionate brother, patrick Henry. Another comment here that gives a little insight into his faith. On 20 November 1798, in his last will and testament, patrick Henry wrote down this is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich.
Speaker 1:Indeed, andrew Jackson, who was the seventh president of the United States, I think, in the 1830s, had occasion to write to Mary and Andrew Jackson Hutchings on the death of their firstborn yeah, 1834. My dear Hutchings, I am truly happy to find that you both have met this severe bereavement with that Christian meekness and submission, as was your duty. This charming babe was only given you from your creator and benefactor. He has a right to take away and we ought humbly to submit to his will and be always ready to say blessed be his name. We have one consolation under the severe bereavement that this babe is now in the bosom of its savior. Another letter he wrote to comfort the family of General Coffey who had died.
Speaker 1:Rely on our dear Savior. He will be father to the fatherless and husband to the widow. Trust in the mercy and goodness of Christ and always be ready to say with heart-filled resignation may the Lord's will be done, willed resignation May the Lord's will be done. How many of us who claim to follow Christ live with that kind of mentality? How many of us would say, after the death of a beloved father or husband may the Lord's will be done. How many of us, after the death of our firstborn child, untimely would say thy will be done.
Speaker 1:How many of us would look at it as our duty still to submit to Christ, christ and to acknowledge that he gave us that child, that husband, that spouse, and he has the right to take them away and to trust at least for me, folks, perhaps this is the biggest part of the equation to trust that he knows the plans he has for us and that they're plans for good and not evil, and understand that maybe, just maybe, we don't see the whole picture. Maybe when we've lost that spouse that we love too dearly, or that child that meant the world to us, or that parent or sibling, best friend, or maybe that financial strain and that loss of job, that loss of health, that there's a purpose there that we can't see. And I'm talking to myself completely as much as y'all folks. I can't even begin to tell you how much I need to hear that, just in general, and maybe especially these days. But again, realize that maybe that's a better point than the one that I had intended, but the one I had intended was these men and women had a tremendous faith in God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Why in the world would we assume that they would create a nation that wanted to separate God and state? Not separate church and state wholly different animal but separate God and state. It doesn't make any sense? None.
Speaker 1:So we're going to go back into Fox's Book of the Martyrs or A History of the Lives, sufferings and triumphant deaths of the primitive Protestant martyrs from the introduction of Christianity to the last latest periods of pagan, popish and infidel persecutions. And we were in the eighth persecution under Valerian, ad 257, and we're going to pick up where we left off. There In Africa, the persecution raged with peculiar violence. Many thousands received the crown of martyrdom, among whom the following were the most distinguished characters. The following were the most distinguished characters Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, an eminent prelate and a pious ornament of the church.
Speaker 1:The brightness of his genius was tempered by the solidity of his judgment, and with all the accomplishments of the gentleman he blended the virtues of a Christian. His doctrines were orthodox and pure, his language easy and elegant, and his manners graceful and winning and fine. He was both the pious and polite preacher. In his youth he was educated in the principles of Gentileism and, having a considerable fortune, he lived in the very extravagance of splendor and all the dignity of pomp. About the year 246, cecilius, a Christian minister of Carthage, became the happy instrument of Cyprian's conversion, on which account and for the great love that he always afterward bore for the author of his conversion. He was termed Cossilius Cyprin. Previous to his baptism, he studied the scriptures with care and, being struck with the beauties of the truths they contained, he determined to practice the virtues therein recommended. Subsequent to his baptism, he sold his estate, distributed the money among the poor, dressed himself in plain attire and commenced a life of austerity. He was soon after made a presbyter and, being greatly admired for his virtues and works, on the death of Donatus in AD 248, he was almost unanimously elected bishop of Carthage.
Speaker 1:Cyprian's care not only extended over Carthage but to Namidia and Mauritania. In all his transactions he took great care to ask the advice of his clergy, knowing that unanimity alone could be of service to the church, maxims that the bishop was in the church and the church in the bishop, so that unity can only be preserved by a close connection between the pastor and his flock. Ad 250, cyprian was publicly prescribed by the emperor Deicis, under the appellation of Osilius, cyprian bishop of the Christians, and the universal cry of the pagans was Cyprian to the lions, cyprian to the beasts. The bishop, however, withdrew from the rage of the populace and his effects were immediately confiscated During his retirement. Confiscated. During his retirement he wrote 30 pious and elegant letters to his flock, but several schisms that then crept into the church gave him great uneasiness. The rigor of the persecution abating, he returned to Carthage and did everything in his power to expunge erroneous opinions.
Speaker 1:A terrible plague breaking out in Carthage. It was, as usual, a terrible plague breaking out in Carthage. It was, as usual, laid to the charge of the Christians, and the magistrates began to persecute accordingly, which occasioned an epistle from them to Cyp, who exiled him to a little city on the Libyan Sea. On the death of this procouncil, he returned to Carthage but was soon after seized and carried before the new governor, who condemned him to be beheaded, which sentence was executed on the 14th of September AD 258. The disciples of Cyprian martyred in this persecution were Lucius Flavian, victorious, remus, matanus, julian, primlus and Can't read the last one, folks Dominion, maybe.
Speaker 1:At Utica, a most terrible tragedy was exhibited 300 Christians were, by the orders of the pro-council, placed around a burning lime kill, a pan of coals and incense being prepared. They were commanded either to sacrifice to Jupiter or to be thrown into the kiln, or to be thrown into the kiln. Unanimously refusing, they bravely jumped into the pit and were immediately suffocated. Fructusus, bishop of Targon in Spain, and his two deacons, argurius and Leligus, were burnt for being Christians. Alexander, malchus and Prusus, three Christians of Palestine with a woman of the same place, voluntarily accused themselves of being Christian, on which account they were sentenced to be devoured by tigers, which sentence was executed accordingly. Maxima, donatella and Secunda, three virgins of Suburban, had gall and vinegar given them to drink, were then severely scorched, formatted on a gibbet, rubbed with lime, scorched on a gridiron, worried by wild beasts, and at length beheaded.
Speaker 1:It is here proper to take notice of the singular but miserable fate of the emperor Valerian, who had so long and so terribly persecuted the Christians. This tyrant, by a stratagem, was taken prisoner by Sapor, emperor of Persia, who carried him into his own country and there treated him with the most unexampled indignity, making him kneel down as the meanest slave and treading upon him as a footstool. When he mounted his horse, after having kept him for the space of seven years in this abject state of slavery, he caused his eyes to be put out, though he was then 83 years of age. This not satiating his desire of revenge, he soon after ordered his body to be flayed alive and rubbed with salt, under which torments he expired and thus fell, one of the most tyrannical emperors of Rome and one of the greatest persecutors of the Christians. Ad 260, galenius, the son of Valerian, succeeded him and during his reign a few martyrs accepted. The church enjoyed peace for some years.
Speaker 1:I think we'll stop there for today. There was a sentence somewhere back here. I wonder how many of us there was voluntarily accused themselves of being Christians, on which account they were sentenced to be devoured by tigers. I wonder how many of us would voluntarily accuse ourselves of being Christian if it weren't popular to be Christian. And I guess in America today it's kind of unpopular to be Christian.
Speaker 1:If you really act like a Christian, it's not necessarily unpopular to be a Christian just in name only. But I wonder what about in Syria, nigeria, china, north Korea? If nothing else, folks, our heart ought to ache for our brothers and sisters and we ought to be doing everything that we can to try and help those people in those places. I don't do enough. That's not a big enough burden on my heart, or I don't act accordingly at least. It's kind of like our responsibility to care for the widows and the orphans, the poor and the needy that we have around us. Do we really follow those commands? Do we really even follow the first two commands right of Jesus Christ to love God with all that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Not perfectly, folks. None of us are going to follow him perfectly, but do we strive to. None of us are going to increase in quantity and probably quality. All right, a little bit more. All right, a little bit more.
Speaker 1:We'll read some of our History of the Rise, progress and Termination of the American Revolution by Mercy Otis Warren. We're in chapter two of volume one, the moderate demands of this body, talking about the New York, the delegates that met at New York on Tuesday October 1765. The moderate demands of this body, in the short period of its existence, discovered at once the affectionate attachment of its members to the parent state and their dread of a general rupture which at that time universally prevailed. Several of the colonies were prevented from sending delegates to the Congress in New York by the royal governors who would not permit the assemblies to meet. They stated their claims as subjects to the Crown of Great Britain, appointed agents to enforce them in their national councils and agreed on petitions for the repeal of the Stamp Act, which had sown the seeds of discord throughout the colonies.
Speaker 1:You've got to think here, folks taxation without representation, but what do we have today? We have representation without representation, but what do we have today? We have representation without taxation. We have a large number of people who don't pay any net money into the federal treasury and yet they get to vote. They get to have representation equal to those that do put in. So we have the opposite scenario, but it's just as unjust as our founders. We have people that have representation but they don't have taxation and they vote equally with the people who are taxed and carry that burden. The prayer of their constituents was, in a spirited yet respectful manner, offered through them to the king, lords and commons of Great Britain. They then separated to await the event. See their petition in the records of Congress at New York in 1765. Note 4. At the end of this chapter let's see what note 4 has to say Note 2, note 3, note 4.
Speaker 1:Names of the gentlemen delegated to meet at New York in 1765 on the occasion of the Stamp Act with the resolves of this first American Congress From the province of Massachusetts Bay James Otis, oliver Partridge, timothy Rogles. Esquires From the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Metcalf Bowler, henry Ward. Esquires From the Colony of Connecticut. Elephant Dreyer, david Rowland, william Samuel Johnson. Esquires From the Colony of New York. Robert R Livingston, john Kruger, william Bayard, leonard Lispinard. Esquires From the Colony of New Jersey, robert Oakden, hendrick Fisher, joseph Borden. Esquires From the Colony of New Jersey. Robert Oakden, hendrick Fisher, joseph Borden. Esquires From the Province of Pennsylvania. John Dickinson, john Morton, george Bryan. Esquires From the Government of the Counties of Newcastle, kent and Sussex on Delaware, cesar Rodney, thomas McKean. Esquires From the province of Maryland. William Murdoch, edward Tilgham, thomas Ringhold. Esquires From the province of South Carolina. Thomas Lynch, christopher Gadsden, john Rutledge, esquires.
Speaker 1:Saturday AM October 19th 1765. Saturday AM October 19th 1765. The Congress met according to adjournment and resumed, etc. As yesterday, and upon mature deliberation, agreed that the following declarations of, of affection and duty to His Majesty's person and government, and viably attached to the present happy establishment of the Protestant succession, and with minds deeply impressed by a sense of the present and impending misfortunes of the British colonies on this continent, having considered, as maturely as time will permit, the circumstances of the British colonies on this continent, having considered, as maturely as time will permit, the circumstances of the said colonies, esteem it our indispensable duty to make the following declarations of our humble opinion, respecting the most essential rights and liberties of the colonists and of the grievances under which they labor by reason of several late acts of parliament.
Speaker 1:Two things interesting to note here. Right, they still wanted to be part of, with warmest sentiments of affection and duty to His Majesty's person and government. They still wanted to be part of Britain. They didn't want to leave at this point. Still, right, they were just looking for their grievances to be heard and addressed. Right, they weren't looking to separate. And then the other thing is the happy establishment of the Protestant succession. Right, just an interesting little side note there. Interesting little side note there.
Speaker 1:One, that his majesty's subjects in these colonies owe the same allegiance to the crown of Great Britain that is owing from his subjects born within the realm and all due subordination to the august body, the parliament of Great Britain. Two, that his majesty's subjects in these colonies are entitled to all the inherent rights and liberties of his natural board subjects within the kingdom. Three, that it is inseparably essential to the freedom of a people and the undoubted right of Englishmen that no taxes be imposed on them, but with their own consent given personally or by their representatives. Four, that the people of these colonies are not, and from their local circumstances, cannot be represented in the House of Commons in Great Britain. Five, that the people of these colonies are not, and from their local circumstances, cannot be represented in the House of Commons in Great Britain.
Speaker 1:5. That the only representatives of the people of these colonies are people chosen by themselves and that no taxes ever have been or can be constitutionally opposed on them but by their respective legislatures. 6. That all supplies to the crown being free gifts of the people, it is unreasonable and inconsistent with the principles and spirit of the British Constitution for the people of Great Britain to grant to His Majesty the property of the colonists. 7. That trial by jury is the inherent and invaluable right of every British subject in these colonies.
Speaker 1:8. That the late Act of Parliament entitled entitled An Act for Granting and Applying Certain Stamp Duties and Other Duties in the British Colonies and Plantations in America, etc. By imposing taxes on the inhabitants of these colonies, and the same Act and several other Acts, by extending the jurisdiction of the courts of admiralty beyond its ancient limits, have a manifest tendency to subvert the rights and liberties of the colonists. 9. That the duties imposed by several late acts of the British Parliament, from the peculiar circumstances of these colonies will be extremely burdensome and grievous. Extremely burdensome and grievous, and from the scarcity of specie, the payment of them, absolutely impracticable. I know I'm murdering some of these words, folks, I'm sorry. Ten, that as the profits of the trade of these colonies ultimately centered Great Britain to pay for the manufacturers which they are obliged to take from thence, they eventually contribute very largely to all supplies granted there to the crown. 11. That the restrictions imposed by several late Acts of Parliament on the trade of these colonies will render them unable to purchase the manufacturers of Great Britain, britain. 12. That the increase, prosperity and happiness of these colonies depend on the full and free enjoyment of their rights and liberties and an intercourse with Great Britain mutually affectionate and advantageous. 13. That it is the right of British subjects and the colonies to petition the King or either House of Parliament. Lastly, that it is the indispensable duty of these colonies to the best of sovereigns, to the mother country and to themselves, to endeavour, by a loyal and dutiful address to His Majesty and humble applications to both houses of Parliament, to procure the repeal of the Act for granting and applying certain stamp duties, of all clauses of any other Acts of Parliament whereby the jurisdiction of the Admiralty is extended, as aforesaid, and of the late other acts for the restriction of American commerce. After these resolves, they chose Thomas Lynch, james Otis and Thomas McKean Esquires to prepare a petition to the House of Commons. An address to the king and the House of Lords was also prepared and forwarded.
Speaker 1:A couple things here. In 9, you see the phrase extremely burdensome and grievous. When you look today at the burden placed on American citizens, particularly to care for, for example, for illegal immigrants that are not citizens, that burden is extremely burden, burdensome and grievous. And you see that, just in general, in the welfare state and taking from those that earn to give to those who don't, you see that in the representation without taxation, the burden being on certain people but then those who don't. You see that in the representation without taxation, the burden being on certain people but then those that don't share that burden being able to vote equally on how to spend that money. Right. And then, if you go back to three, it is inseparably essential to the freedom of the people and undoubted right of Englishmen that no taxes be imposed on them with their own consent, given personally or by the representatives. Taking money from a person that earned it to give to those who don't, not only isn't the job of the federal government, it's not benevolent at all. You're not being kind, you're just stealing what others have earned and it just. It again goes back to the fact that you have representation based on people that aren't paying in, and yet they're getting to vote or to elect representatives based on, despite the fact that they're not paying that money in. They're getting to decide how to spend it, folks, and it's just, it's going to cause problems.
Speaker 1:I've been meaning to talk about this more often. I'm going to say these two lines and then I'm going to move on for today. But, folks, the idea of peaceful coexistence inside the United States, which maintains liberty with citizens who demand, insist on following the bucket of isms socialism, communism, leftism, nazism, fascism and Islam which goes hand in glove with that bucket of isms it's a pipe dream, folks. It's an illusion. It's just not going to happen. And the other thing that I've noticed a couple people talking about and I ought to talk about more often is abortion. Folks, we have a responsibility to abolish abortion in the United States, just like we had to abolish slavery in the 1800s, and whether that requires another civil war or not. Abortion is making slavery look like a joke. The number of children, the amount of blood and you can even say money right, because these people would have been taxpaying citizens you want to talk about taxes? The amount of blood and money that we piled up against ourselves in America is pretty astounding. No-transcript.