The following was written by COS Regional Captain James Peters. This was originally published in The Daily News-Record.
It might seem strange to know that there were several brilliant, influential men in Virginia who would not sign the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Their refusal was not because they were still loyal to King George III, but because they feared our new federal government would quickly become as tyrannical as King George had been.
One of those men was Colonel George Mason.
Many of his fellow Virginians recognized his brilliant mind and wanted him to serve in the House of Burgesses, but he would refuse to run for office. Several times they elected him anyway.
Mason often missed meetings because he was a single parent with nine children, and he also suffered from ill health.
Mason’s “Virginia’s Declaration of Rights” greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson in 1776, as Jefferson penned the first draft of our nation's Declaration of Independence.
When a new government was needed in Virginia, several different constitutions were submitted for consideration, but it was Mason’s that was quickly determined to be the best constitution to serve the citizens of the new Commonwealth of Virginia.
George Mason was elected to represent Virginia at the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia beginning on May 25, 1787.
It turned out to be one of the few times Mason willingly accepted an office and the only time in his life when he traveled further away from home than Maryland.
Mason was an active participant in the creation of the new government and in the writing of the U.S. Constitution.
On September 15, 1787, just two days before the end of the convention Colonel George Mason realized the framers had made a terrible mistake.
According to James Madison's notes, Mason believed that the people needed a way to amend the Constitution if Congress were ever to become oppressive.
As it stood, the Constitution only allowed Congress to propose amendments.
No amendment of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people, if the government should become oppressive, as he believed would be the case.
The rest of the Framers agreed. They adopted the Convention of States option into Article V of the Constitution on a unanimous vote.
When it came time to sign the U.S. Constitution, some of the men present refused.
George Mason and Edmund Randolph of Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts would not sign because of several areas where they felt the federal government had been given too much power.
Another Virginian, Patrick Henry is remembered as an ardent supporter of the American Revolution, and for his famous, fiery speech containing these words: “Give me liberty, or give me death.”
Henry chose to oppose ratification of the U.S. Constitution, believing that it created a federal government that was too powerful and operated too far away from its citizens.
He even refused a position in George Washington’s administration, but Henry did serve three one-year terms as governor of Virginia.
Like most Antifederalists, Henry wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution, but that was not his core concern.
Instead, Henry wished to see real, structural limitations on the new government’s power, such as taking away its authority to tax.
Henry thought that a national government given unlimited power to tax and spend would certainly become a monstrosity that the Founders, even James Madison, never intended.
Another Virginian, Richard Henry Lee believed that good government required virtue, defined as self-sacrifice for the public good.
He felt that a federal government with too much power over the states could destroy virtue and liberty.
September 1789, Congress met and approved 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The amendments were designed to protect the basic rights of U.S. citizens, guaranteeing the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and exercise of religion; the right to a fair trial, and the right to bear arms.
December 15, 1791, Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to approve 10 of the 12 amendments, giving the Bill of Rights the majority needed for ratification.
For many, the tenth amendment was one of the most important because “powers not delegated to the federal government would be reserved for the states and the people.”
Any law, prohibition, regulation, or amendment is only as good as its enforcement.
The adage, “Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile,” applies to children, kings, and to federal governments.
We the People and our state legislators have given the feds way too many miles!
Sadly, Washington D.C. has become the monster feared by our Founders.
George Mason gave us that second part of Article V to reign in that runaway federal power, but to work, we must use it!
Become part of history by going to conventionofstates.com and signing the petition. Help Virginia put the federal government monster back in its cage.
