Comments on: Happy Birthday, Mr. Jefferson

By: our founding truth

our founding truth — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:45:07 +0000

Madison and Jefferson hired Freneau to write against Washington in 1790. The battle lines were drawn before your assertion.

The Federalist prove Hamilton was a Republican. Only a Jacobite could have supported France the way Jefferson did.

Hamilton used a better argument to defeat the Jeffersonians. This is why Jefferson referred to Hamilton as a “Colossus” He needed not the other Federalists to defeat him.

By: DocJim

DocJim — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:17:31 +0000

“Our Founding Truth” may have discovered a few truths, but believes many things untrue. The notion that Washington appointed Jefferson from another party is patently false. There were no organized parties at that time. The clash between Jefferson and Washington came when Washington accepted more and more of Hamilton’s ideas. Hamiltonian ideas were English aristocracy uber alles. Sharing power between the government and the aristocracy was the means of shoring up political power. But the new nation had no birth-based aristocracy and Hamilton (of “low birth”) used money as the talisman of power. Merchants of New York and Philadelphia had been selling goods to the British army during the war and had the most money.
Jefferson and Madison opposed the Hamiltonian ideas and the two parties of Federalists (maximizing central power) and the Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson, Madison and others) began to wrestle for power. Jefferson’s party evolved from opposition to Hamiltonian ideas. After Washington retired, the Adams presidency was marred by the Alien and Sedition Acts which hang like a pall over American liberty. One cannot promote the Federalist position without accepting their blame for the Alien and Sedition Acts. These proved for all the importance of the perennial importance of diligence in assuring liberty. That seems to have been forgotten in recent years, but the tea parties are showing it has not died off entirely.

By: our founding truth

our founding truth — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:51:27 +0000

I agree. We have the right to disagree, however, it is an historical fact what Jefferson did to Washington, and he back-stabbed Adams too.

He was not a good guy.

By: Akston

Akston — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:28:04 +0000

As I read the posts on your blog, I can find almost nothing with which I agree.

Happily, as a libertarian, I need not agree with you to support your right to think and write as you please. May it bring you satisfaction.

By: our founding truth

our founding truth — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:42:49 +0000

If you read my post on my blog, you will what a hypocrite and awful person Thomas Jefferson was.

Washington hires him to be secretary of state, TJ then personally writes slanderous attacks against the man who hired him.

The guy was a jerk!

By: Akston

Akston — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:50:47 +0000

Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802:

Mr. President

To messers Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem & approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful & zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more & more pleasing.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. [Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorised only to execute their acts, I have refrained from presenting even occasional performances of devotion presented indeed legally where an Executive is the legal head of a national church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect.] Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.

(signed) Thomas Jefferson
Jan.1.1802.

Could this be the actual axe which the prior post was intended to grind? As I read Jefferson’s letter, I find I have no problem whatsoever with its sentiment and tone.

By: our founding truth

our founding truth — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:31:13 +0000

Frankly, I believe Jefferson’s Memorial should be taken down. The fact is, he was a scoundrel hyprocrite, who personally slandered George Washington, at the same time in his cabinet.

The French Minister said the most vicious slanders were done by the Secretary of State.

What a loser!