The Founding Fathers had big hearts. They truly loved their fellow-man enough to risk their very lives for us—for their new nation.
“When you do a good deed,
you may not always get prizes.
But you may find your heart has
Grown three or four sizes!”
–Dr. Suess
The Constitution was undeniably the idea, design, and proposal of James Madison, but so also was the Bill of Rights. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. Once the Constitution was ratified and signed by the 55 Representatives of the States in Congress, it had to be approved by each of the States individually.
In an effort to gain the votes of the States, Madison, together with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton wrote the “Federalist Papers” to fully explain the meaning and importance of the Constitution. Nine State had to adopt it before the Constitution would replace the Articles of Confederation as the principle document uniting the States.
Today my wife and I ate at a restaurant named “Tender Greens” in San Diego, California. We are on a little trip together with our daughter and her husband. As we ordered our food at this nice eatery, I was reminded of Thomas Jefferson. I know, many things remind me of Jefferson.
But you see, Thomas Jefferson at his mountain top estate of Monticello, had his own wonderful garden. This was his intention to provide a year round supply of fresh vegetables. The garden was finally laid out in 1774, and he grew a wonderful variety of fresh vegetables. He grew many new hybrid varieties. His favorite vegetable was peas.
The Founding Fathers were patriots. The root word of ‘founding’ is ‘found’, which means to “take the first steps in building”. The first builders of the nation. The use of the word ‘father’ in this sense means originator. They began the whole thing.
In this context, a father is one who has become one of the leading men as of a country. Just like a man is a father to a boy. The originator, the starter, the one who sees it through.
The way we use these words together today refers to the men who were there at the beginning of our new nation. The ones who originated or started the process of building a new nation. Nation means a politically organized community.
On one occasion I was speaking to about 300 people at a convention in Provo, Utah. My topic was “The Pursuit of Happiness—Thomas Jefferson.” I had 55 minutes to tell about Thomas Jefferson’s life and accomplishments. Needless to say, I only got to the highlights.
Afterwards a very kind lady came up to visit with me for a minute and thank me for my address. She introduced herself as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She went on to tell me about a choir tour that she was a part of. The Choir toured, visited and sang at some important places involved in U.S. History.
Yesterday I described on this blog Franklin’s Project for Moral Perfection. He had at first only 12 character traits he wanted to perfect. Then what happened is pretty comical as he describes it:
“My list of virtues contain’d at first but twelve; but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show’d itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc’d me by mentioning several instances, I determined endeavoring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list.”
In his autobiography Benjamin Franklin discusses his own “Project for Moral Perfection.” He decided he wanted to be as close to perfect as he could become in his life. He organized his project and listed 13 character traits he wanted to improve in relation to. These are all described in his book, as well as his definition of each and his chart that he worked on all his life.
I’ll just list these characteristics here:
1. Temperance—eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence—speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Seek not to dispute or contend.
3. Order—Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution—Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality—Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is waste nothing.
6. Industry—Lose not time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity—Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice—Wong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation—Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness—Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility—Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity—Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. Humility—Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
The story is told about a gathering of foreign ministers together for business and dinner a few years after the Revolutionary War. The British Ambassador presented his toast: “England—the sun, whose bright beams enlighten and fructify the remotest corners of the earth.”
Then the ambassador from France arose and gave his own toast: “France—the moon, whose mild, steady and cheering rays are the delight of all nations, controlling them in the darkness, and making their dreariness beautiful.”
“Oh, he’s a politician, you can’t believe anything he says!”
That’s what I heard the other day standing near a couple talking about the upcoming elections. It made me stop and think. Is that really what it has come to?
The story about George Washington and the cherry tree used to be taught in schools to help youngsters learn about honesty. Now it’s often pooh-poohed as a made up tale. The bloom is off the cherry tree—or at least it’s story.
Parson Weems, a regular at George Washington’s dinner table, wrote the story after George had passed away. It may be based
in fact. Parson may have heard it from George himself. (I’m not going to tell the story here, so for more on that tale, go to Founding Fathers—Uncommon Heroes, pages 39-41, if you’d like to read more about it).
Will Durant was an historian and philosopher. He wrote the major treatise “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.” The he distilled more than 2,000 years of history into his favorite 3 little words. Those words? “Love one another.”
To this philosophy he added: “In all of western civilization, the person who stands out above all others is Christ.” Durant went on to say: “Christ was undoubtedly one of the most permanent influences on our thoughts, but on our actions (an important modification) Our actions,“ he continued, are very seldom Christian, but our theology often is.”