|
13580dc
|
has almost no influence on present-day thinking in the United States because he is unknown to the average citizen. Perhaps I might say right here that this is a national loss and a deplorable lack of understanding concerning the man who first proposed and first wrote those impressive words, 'the United States of America.' But it is hardly strange. 's teachings have been debarred from schools everywhere and his views of life misrepresented until his memory is hidden in shadows, or he is looked upon as of unsound mind. We never had a sounder intelligence in this Republic. He was the equal of in making American liberty possible. Where performed devised and wrote. The deeds of one in the Weld were matched by the deeds of the other with his pen. himself appreciated at his true worth. knew him for a great patriot and clear thinker. He was a friend and confidant of , and the two must often have debated the academic and practical phases of liberty. I consider our greatest political thinker. As we have not advanced, and perhaps never shall advance, beyond the Declaration and Constitution, so has had no successors who extended his principles. Although the present generation knows little of 's writings, and although he has almost no influence upon contemporary thought, Americans of the future will justly appraise his work. I am certain of it. Truth is governed by natural laws and cannot be denied. spoke truth with a peculiarly clear and forceful ring. Therefore time must balance the scales. The Declaration and the Constitution expressed in form 's theory of political rights. He worked in Philadelphia at the time that the first document was written, and occupied a position of intimate contact with the nation's leaders when they framed the Constitution. Certainly we may believe that had a considerable voice in the Constitution. We know that had much to do with the document. also had a hand and probably was responsible in even larger measure for the Declaration. But all of these men had communed with . Their views were intimately understood and closely correlated. There is no doubt whatever that the two great documents of American liberty reflect the philosophy of . ...Then wrote 'Common Sense,' an anonymous tract which immediately stirred the fires of liberty. It flashed from hand to hand throughout the Colonies. One copy reached the New York Assembly, in session at Albany, and a night meeting was voted to answer this unknown writer with his clarion call to liberty. The Assembly met, but could find no suitable answer. had inscribed a document which never has been answered adversely, and never can be, so long as man esteems his priceless possession. In 'Common Sense' flared forth with a document so powerful that the Revolution became inevitable. recognized the difference, and in his calm way said that matters never could be the same again. It must be remembered that 'Common Sense' preceded the declaration and affirmed the very principles that went into the national doctrine of liberty. But that affirmation was made with more vigor, more of the fire of the patriot and was exactly suited to the hour... Certainly [the Revolution] could not be forestalled, once he had spoken. { }
|
|
influence
declaration-of-independence
george-washington
washington
jefferson
paine
thomas-jefferson
thomas-paine
franklin
|
Thomas Edison |
|
fe1b286
|
Is it possible that the Pentateuch could not have been written by uninspired men? that the assistance of God was necessary to produce these books? Is it possible that ascertained the mechanical principles of 'Virtual Velocity,' the laws of falling bodies and of all motion; that ascertained the true position of the earth and accounted for all celestial phenomena; that discovered his three laws--discoveries of such importance that the 8th of May, 1618, may be called the birth-day of modern science; that gave to the world the Method of Fluxions, the Theory of Universal Gravitation, and the Decomposition of Light; that , , , and , almost completed the science of mathematics; that all the discoveries in optics, hydrostatics, pneumatics and chemistry, the experiments, discoveries, and inventions of , , and , of , and and of all the pioneers of progress--that all this was accomplished by uninspired men, while the writer of the Pentateuch was directed and inspired by an infinite God? Is it possible that the codes of China, India, Egypt, Greece and Rome were made by man, and that the laws recorded in the Pentateuch were alone given by God? Is it possible that and , , and , and , and all the poets of the world, and all their wondrous tragedies and songs are but the work of men, while no intelligence except the infinite God could be the author of the Pentateuch? Is it possible that of all the books that crowd the libraries of the world, the books of science, fiction, history and song, that all save only one, have been produced by man? Is it possible that of all these, the bible only is the work of God?
|
|
discoveries
progress
tragedy
libraries
poets
shakespeare
india
light
writer
fiction
books
inspiration
bible
science
songs
intelligence
alessandro-volta
benjamin-franklin
beranger
bonaventura-cavalieri
bonaventura-francesco-cavalieri
burns
cavalieri
chemistry
china
copernicus
descartes
euclid
experiments
franklin
fulton
galileo
galileo-galilei
galvani
gottfried-leibniz
gottfried-von-leibniz
gottfried-wilhelm-leibniz
gottfried-wilhelm-von-leibniz
greece
hydrostatics
inventions
isaac-newton
james-watt
johann-von-goethe
johannes-kepler
kepler
laws-of-motion
leibniz
luigi-aloisio-galvani
luigi-galvani
math
mathematics
morse
newton
nicolaus-copernicus
optics
pentateuch
pierre-jean-de-béranger
pioneers
pneumatics
rene-descartes
richard-trevithick
robert-burns
robert-fulton
rome
samuel-finley-breese-morse
samuel-morse
schiller
the-bible
theory-of-gravity
theory-of-universal-gravitation
trevethick
volta
watt
Æschylus
johann-wolfgang-von-goethe
goethe
egypt
william-shakespeare
|
Robert G. Ingersoll |
|
6dbed8f
|
Just as smiles often follow tears, the sun rose full and bright on the morning..
|
|
romantic
georgina
suzan
franklin
|
Georgina Grey |