Political Philosophy - Raw History (Page 3)

Political Philosophy

This tag will be fluid regarding eras of thought. It will include authors from sundry times and myriad subjects. The connection between the excerpts for this tag will be expressions of general principles regardless of time or space.

Declaration of Causes: Georgia's Secession, 1861.

Declaration of Causes: Georgia's Secession, 1861.

In Requiem for a Nun, William Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." A truer statement, I contend, has never been uttered. One of the great surprises of my life was to discover, some years ago, that the Civil War wasn't really over. It still directly

On the Tyranny of the Majority: Thoughts by John Stuart Mill.

General Interest

On the Tyranny of the Majority: Thoughts by John Stuart Mill.

Tyranny is a word that has been much used in America since the 1760s. Most references are to governments; however, in part of John Stuart Mill's work entitled, On Liberty, he wrote about some issues surrounding tyranny when it is carried out by the majority. This selection is a short

The French Treaty and National Honor: Thoughts by William Leggett, the "Evening Post," December 15, 1834.

General Interest

The French Treaty and National Honor: Thoughts by William Leggett, the "Evening Post," December 15, 1834.

During the Napoleonic Wars, American shipping had sustained losses for which the United States demanded compensation. A treaty was struck in July 1831 wherein the French were to pay 25 million francs in 6 annual installments which, for various political and organizational reasons, they failed to do. By early 1833,

Revolutionary Pensioners: Thoughts by William Leggett, Dec. 8, 1834

Political Philosophy

Revolutionary Pensioners: Thoughts by William Leggett, Dec. 8, 1834

In this selection, William Leggett was responding to a proposal by Assistant Alderman Tallmadge that one hundred dollars be “paid out of the city treasury on the 1st January next, to every surviving officer and soldier of the revolution in the city and county of New York, now receiving a

The Division of Parties, Thoughts by William Leggett, 1834

General Interest

The Division of Parties, Thoughts by William Leggett, 1834

In this post, readers will recognize arguments that may seem eerily modern in may ways. From the very beginning, Americans have divided into parties and bickered over the nature and extent of the Federal government. Consequently, Leggett's characterization of the "Democracy" and the "Aristocracy" should present an interesting journey into

Asylum for Insane Paupers: Thoughts about the Role of Government by William Leggett, 1834

General Interest

Asylum for Insane Paupers: Thoughts about the Role of Government by William Leggett, 1834

Every generation has hard decisions to make, like what is the scope and purpose of government. In this piece, William Leggett addresses what he believes the extent of government involvement should be in "charities." Agree or disagree, Leggett gives a reader something to think about. This selection comes from the

Political Change, Slavery, Thomas Jefferson & More: Thoughts by Frederick Law Olmsted

Political Change, Slavery, Thomas Jefferson & More: Thoughts by Frederick Law Olmsted

In the mid 1850s, Frederick Law Olmsted toured many Southern States and then wrote about his journey in a work entitled, A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States. In this selection, Olmsted was analyzing the “avowed principles of the Revolution” in relation to Virginia’s laws concerning inheritance. As you

A Consolidated Nation vs. A Federal Republic: Thoughts By Abel P. Upshur about the Theories of Joseph Story

C Chauncey Burr

A Consolidated Nation vs. A Federal Republic: Thoughts By Abel P. Upshur about the Theories of Joseph Story

The early 1830s was a time of agitation in the United States. Pervasive bickering and bitter recriminations, most notably between Northern and Southern politicians, were occurring at the highest levels of the Federal Government over the nature and extent of federal power vis-a-vis state power. Much of the turmoil was

Government Establishments vs. Private Enterprise: Thoughts by Lysander Spooner, 1844

General Interest

Government Establishments vs. Private Enterprise: Thoughts by Lysander Spooner, 1844

Libertarian, Lysander Spooner, attacked the government's monopoly on mail delivery in his 1844 pamphlet, "The Unconstitutionality of Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails." In said pamphlet, he made an interesting contrast between government establishments and private enterprise. August Glen-James, editory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Universal experience attests that government establishments cannot keep pace

Sectionalism & Factionalism in the Civil War Period: Thoughts by Albert Taylor Bledsoe

Sectionalism & Factionalism in the Civil War Period: Thoughts by Albert Taylor Bledsoe

Albert Taylor Bledsoe served as an officer in the Confederate army; however, he was also an Episcopal priest, mathematician, and attorney. He was a defender of slavery, believing that it was an important component of an orderly society, and one of the many apologists for the Southern cause in the

Of the Original Contract: David Hume, 1752

Of the Original Contract: David Hume, 1752

Contract theory is tantamount to American constitutionalism and is central to the founding of the United States. In essence, contract theory means government by consent. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, channeling authors like John Locke, wrote that “all men are created equal” and “endowed” with the “unalienable Rights”

Louis Brandeis on the Freedom of Speech and Assembly: Whitney v. California (1927)

General Interest

Louis Brandeis on the Freedom of Speech and Assembly: Whitney v. California (1927)

The First Amendment freedoms of speech and assembly have relevance across space and time. These freedoms, or the lack thereof, are harbingers of freedom or tyranny. No right is absolute, however, and the Supreme Court of the United States has, over time, defined both the limit and extent of many

Roger B. Taney on Judicial Activism: Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857.

Roger B. Taney on Judicial Activism: Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857.

Dred Scott v. Sandford is one of the most infamous Supreme Court decisions in history. It ruled, among other things, that slaves were not citizens and, therefore, could not sue in federal courts. Furthermore, the Court ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery in the territories. Of course, this contributed

The Failure of Interventionism (Including Socialism and Fascism): Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises--Epilogue, 1947

Political Philosophy

The Failure of Interventionism (Including Socialism and Fascism): Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises--Epilogue, 1947

Originally published in 1922, the book Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis is a work that opens the subject to the critical analysis of the Austrian school of economics’ prime thinker, Ludwig von Mises. Socialism was so convincing that it turned some young socialists of the age into free market

Edmund Burke: Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies,
22 Mar. 1775*

Edmund Burke: Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies, 22 Mar. 1775*

An Analysis by August Glen-James -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By March 1775, the British situation in the Colonies was growing daily more tense; the first shots of the American Revolution were less than a month away. Edmund Burke, in response to this crisis, delivered a speech in Parliament wherein he said, “I do

Federalist No. 10: An Analysis

Federalist No. 10: An Analysis

Federalist No. 10 was written by James Madison in November 1787 and was a continuation of Federalist No. 9, written by Alexander Hamilton. The theme of both numbers was “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Factions and Insurrection.” What follows is an analysis of Federalist No.

These Confederated States and the Right of Revolution: Thoughts by John Quincy Adams, 1838

These Confederated States and the Right of Revolution: Thoughts by John Quincy Adams, 1838

The 1830s were a tumultuous time in American History. The tariff debate between the North and South reached a fever pitch and resulted in the emergence of sectional bickering that foreshadowed the Civil War. During this time frame, John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster emerged as sectional champions for the

Of the Republican institutions of the United States, and what their chances of duration are: Thoughts by Alexis de Tocqueville

Political Philosophy

Of the Republican institutions of the United States, and what their chances of duration are: Thoughts by Alexis de Tocqueville

The Union is an accident, which will only last as long as circumstances are favorable to its existence . . .

How Free Governments are to be framed so as to last, and how they differ from such as are arbitrary: John Trenchard, Cato’s Letters, No. 61, 13 Jan. 1721

How Free Governments are to be framed so as to last, and how they differ from such as are arbitrary: John Trenchard, Cato’s Letters, No. 61, 13 Jan. 1721

Although written with the English government in mind, this selection addresses principles that apply to all forms of government and all office seekers. Often, works like this don't necessarily reveal something unknown to the reader. Most accept the occurrence of political corruption; however, the eloquence of a gifted author's expression

An Enquiry into the Nature and Extent of Liberty: John Trenchard, 20 Jan. 1721--Cato's Letters, No. 62

An Enquiry into the Nature and Extent of Liberty: John Trenchard, 20 Jan. 1721--Cato's Letters, No. 62

Civil society arises in the nexus between principle and policy, and what that society becomes through policy seems often to reflect its principles and philosophical assumptions. This selection investigates the assumption, principle, and concept of liberty according to the thoughts of John Trenchard. In this essay, readers will find some

The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States: Thoughts by C. Chauncey Burr, 1864.

C Chauncey Burr

The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States: Thoughts by C. Chauncey Burr, 1864.

One of the central themes of the Civil War was the nature of the Union. Was the Union one of a consolidated nature or was it a federation of sovereign states, each with the ability to determine, for itself, the interpretation of the Constitution and its application within its own

"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine: Excerpts

"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine: Excerpts

One of the best known literary works from the Revolutionary War is Thomas Paine's Common Sense. Most know Paine by name but few, in my experience, have actually read Common Sense; consequently, this post contains a number of excerpts from the work that will at least expose readers to many

"Mr. Jefferson's Opinions"

"Mr. Jefferson's Opinions"

This is extracted from a letter from Mr. Jefferson to Major Cartwright, dated June 5, 1824, from Monticello and addresses the relationship between the states and the federal government. August Glen-James, editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > They are co-ordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. With respect to our state and federal

The Power of Citizens to Avoid Political Collapse: Thoughts by Benjamin Lincoln, Jr. 1784-1786

The Power of Citizens to Avoid Political Collapse: Thoughts by Benjamin Lincoln, Jr. 1784-1786

Benjamin Lincoln, Jr. was the son of Revolutionary War general, Benjamin Lincoln. He wrote ten essays between 1784 and 1786 on subjects that the editors of this work, referenced below the selection, believe "grew out of a conversation that Massachusetts people were having about the problem of a bicameral legislature

Observations about Hamilton and Adams: by Thomas Jefferson

Observations about Hamilton and Adams: by Thomas Jefferson

In 1811, Thomas Jefferson, writing to Dr. Benjamin Rush, has some interesting observations about Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. While serving in the Washington administration, Jefferson was asked by the President to call together the "Heads of departments, and to invite Mr. Adams" to join them in order to make