The Founding of the American Republic 21; C. Carson

CLARENCE B. CARSON THE FOUNDING OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC 21 The Beacon of Liberty WHY SHOULD ANYONE bother to write the history of the· founding of the American Republic? Or why, if it be written, should any one bother to read or study it? Because, it has been asserted, it constitutes an epoch, and even an epic. That may be true enough, but if that epoch be wrenched out of its broader context, why should it be considered an epic? Here were some colonies on a remote con tinent which revolted from the empire of which they were a part and succeeded in effecting the sep aration. Having done so, they re pudiated their paper money, could not meet many of their obligations, and lacked respect of the great powers of the world. Their Con federation lacked energy, and there was considerable doubt whether their state governments could maintain order. In these cir cumstances, they made a concerted effort to revamp and reorganize to effect a "more perfect Union." As we have left the story, they appear to have succeeded in doing this in considerable measure. Though this was an achievement to be admired, it would not suffice to make the story one of epic dimensions~ N or should the account be read as a glorification of war. Even if Dr. Carson, noted lecturer and author, is living at present in Alabama. The articles of this series will be published as a book by Arlington House.

195 196 THE FREEMAN April war were worthy of glorification, the struggles in America would surely count as among its less notable episodes. There were few great battles; usually when one loomed ahead, a withdrawal oc curred rather than a fight to the finish. The British used a great many foreign mercenaries. The Americans relied extensively on the militia, whose members would hardly qualify as soldiers. The Continental armies were rag-tag bob-tail aggregations with all too little discipline and shortages of almost everything else that makes armies go. True, there were great acts of personal heroism, and there was the exemplary tenacity of a few leaders, but these were offset often enough by cowardice of mi litia, lack of resolution by govern ments, and a civilian population looking the other way when help was needed. In any case, it is un likely that the miseries of the Continental armies would be re called as a glorification of war.

No more is this account to be understood as simply a veneration of government in general or of American governments in particu lar. Government is necessary; those of a pious bent may properly say that it is ordained. That is, man is such, and society is such, that government is required to maintain the peace. But if govern ment were all that were wanted, it would be possible to construct a much simpler one than the federal system of government in these United States. The exercise of gov ernment power does not require checks and balances, the separa tion of power, two or more distinct jurisdictions, a d uplica tion of court systems, nor a multiplicity of elected officials. Much of this is actually extraneous to the efficient exercise of governmental power. The Idea of Ordered Liberty What makes the story worth re telling, then, and gives it its epic dimensions, is neither war nor government. It is worth recalling because in the midst of war, diplo matic contests, internal divisions between Patriots and Loyalists, fiscal irresponsibilities, political squabbles, a sufficient number of .

Americans clung to a hope and an idea to bring it forth from the upheaval and make strides toward realizing it. That idea, if it must be put in a phrase, was the idea of ordered liberty, the idea that America should be a land where protections of liberty and property were firmly established, a refuge for the persecuted to come to, and a beacon shining forth as a guide for others to follow. George Wash ington could speak with the as surance that he knew his country men when he said, in his Farewell Address, "Interwoven as is the 1973 THE BEACON OF LIBERTY 197 love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the attachment." This epoch is raised to epic pro portions, then, by the quality of the idea that nourished it and by the degree to which the men of that day were able to achieve it. The era is appreciated the more for the epic that it was when it is seen in its proper context of past and future. It is what the United States became that justifies our attention to its beginnings, and it is that out of which it was wrought that gave it substance.

A Rebirth of Freedom on the American Continent The epic of the founding of the American Republic is no less than the epic of the rebirth of liberty on the American continent. That is right; it was indeed a rebirth. It would have been quite strange if it had been other than a rebirth. All our births are but rebirths. They are not the less remarkable for that, for we celebrate and stand in awe of the succession of rebirths which give continuity to and perennially freshen and re new our world. What is spring but a rebirth of what was there the year before? Every plant that springs from a seed is a rebirth of its parent plant. Every child born of woman is a rebirth of the human form in new attire. Rebirth stands at its peak when Christi anity proclaims that you must be born again, that a rebirth in spirit is greater than the original birth. It is not for man to create; it is sufficient that he be able to take part in recreation.