The Deliberation That Founded America: Volumn 1: The Mighty Intelligent Design of the Declaration

This book examines the continuous deliberation that founded America. In public and private: in assemblies, in Congresses, in Conventions; during war and in peace; in newspapers and in pamphlets, in letters and in conversation, in pulpit, in tavern, and in home, and in ratification by the whole of we the people. With reason and revelation working together, we spoke with each other, wrote down what we agreed on, and gave ourselves a democratic republic, and the world hope, as never before in the course of human events.Volume I, an exceeding close reading of the Declaration of Independence, culminates in the discovery of a mighty intelligent design, of the Creator, cited and appealed to as legislator, judge, and executive, all united, yet whom to imitate would be tyrannical, for man was not created slave to man, but born free and equal, so that governing himself, his choice to do well would, free of threat, and free of reward, be virtuous, and his happiness merited.Volume II examines how that design informs the Constitution (imperfectly), looks hopeful in the Northwest Ordinance, and with the Bill of Rights protects both soul and citizen. “No free citizen, if not free soul first."Since we can only “keep the Republic” that the Founders gave us, their posterity, through study, this appreciation of their deliberation, their study together, encourages that same study in all readers, both scholars and citizens, teachers and students, parents and children, citizens all. After adding celebrations, such as in DeSmet in 1881, and admitting incompletion, readers are invited to take roles in Patrick Coby’s serious game of the Constitutional Convention. In the course of playing, little Madison, witty Morris, grumpy Gerry, brilliant Hamilton, humorous Franklin, and dignified Washington, and maybe ending with a different Constitution, you will have to study a lot. A SAMPLERSimple—we spoke together and wrote down only what we agreed on.The Declaration is the most eloquent thing ever written by a committee.All praise to Je"erson, the noble drafter.How are natural rights and ends, truths and purposes, happiness and government, government and worship related?A shaft for a King, slays a slaver.Once you grasp a truth, it has already grasped you.Way out in a corner of Colorado, until recently accessible only by a three-day ride on horseback, are ruins left by a vanished people. Why did they vanish? Who were they? Who are we?The four references to God are placed intelligently. Their design convicts all “divine” kings, uniting legislative, judicial, and executive, of succumbing to the original temptation of “becoming as gods.” God is the pattern of all good government, uniting all three powers, whom it would be tyranny for any human to imitate by uniting.The six self-evident truths set a path, to form a nation, and inspire the world.It is sometimes said that the Declaration has a low horizon, that life, liberty and happiness fall short of nobility, and that the self- government it envisages, as a right, really has little but diminution of “fear of violent death” (Hobbes) or securing “comfortable self- preservation” (Locke) in mind. And yet there they are, the four Platonic virtues, right there in the Declaration, required of us to found America.Now let us enjoy our Fourth as it was in De Smet in 1881. Read more