Economic pressures here at home.
An open southern border.
Israel at war.
And here we are focused on the House being unable to elect a Speaker.
Politics is a messy business. It’s even messier when played out in front of the cameras. The bulk of what we have witnessed on television should be settled in the locker room. When egos are involved, what should happen very often does not. When 435 egos are involved, we end up with a real mess on our hands, which is where we are right now.
This is not unprecedented in our history. The 1787 Philadelphia Convention was incredibly contentious. Our country was teetering on the brink of state conflicts – and vulnerable to foreign invaders. At that time, the Articles of Confederation had proven inadequate for our young nation. The Framers were charged by their state legislatures to draft a new governing document – one that created a functional government structure for the Union.
The principles of the future United States of America were laid out in the Declaration of Independence. The grievances against the King of England, and thus the reasons for our separation, were listed as well. The task at hand was to codify those principles in our new Constitution and ensure the central government was least likely to violate individual rights.
The first two months of the 1787 Convention accomplished virtually nothing. There were vigorous debates that produced minimal results. The New York delegation unsuccessfully attempted to commandeer the Convention. This led to Robert Yates and John Lansing leaving the Philadelphia Convention on July 10; leaving Alexander Hamilton as the lone New Yorker present. Some speculated whether the Delegates would arrive at any agreement that would produce the document they were charged with creating.
On June 28, Benjamin Franklin requested recognition to address the Delegates. Note that Franklin is recognized as one of the least religious members of The Framers, and this makes his remarks to the Convention even more profound. Here is what he said according to Madison’s Notes:
Mr. President –
The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other, ”our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes and ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, some we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of Government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.
In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. ”Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments be Human Wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of the City be requested to officiate in that service.
Translation? Fellas, are we so vain as to think we can answer all the questions ourselves without asking for the guidance of Our Creator? Let us get over ourselves. We had better pray for help. Because otherwise, we have no chance of forming a government that stands the test of time and achieves our fundamental principles.
This does not sound too far off from where we are now, does it? We are all here at this exact moment in time for a specific purpose. Every one of us can do something to restore our republic and protect liberty. Each of us has a duty to identify what we have been called to do. All we need are eyes to see, ears to hear and the courage to act. I have been involved in several organizations and investigated several others. Convention of States Action offers the best platform to restore our constitutional republic. Go to www.conventionofstates.com/takeaction to find numerous ways you can help save our republic.
These are serious times. They call for serious solutions. The Article V convention of states process is a serious solution for such a time as this.
In liberty,
Brett
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