I would like to take the time to say, "Happy Birthday," to James Madison. James Madison was a great citizen, a role model for me, and should be given lots more credit for what he has done for our great nation.
Being the father of our constitution, he was one of only a few who took notes from the constitutional, as well as an author in the Federalist Papers, he has a true understanding of the Constitution, its purposes, and something D.C. Bureaucrats should definitely study, its
limitations.
Hitherto charters have been written grants of privileges by Governments to the people. Here they are written grants of power by the people to their Governments.With respect to the words, "general welfare," I have always regarded them as qualified by the details of power connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution not contemplated by the creators.The powers of the federal government are enumerated; it can only operate in certain cases; it has legislative powers on defined and limited objects, beyond which it cannot extend its jurisdiction.
I believe if Madison was more understood our political process would not be as chaotic as it is today. Our government was designed to be simple, and easy to understand. Not a government of laws that are 2000 confusing pages of legal gibberish in order to hide political payoffs to special interests groups.
The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate protection of these faculties is the first object of government.If Congress can employ money indefinitely the powers of Congress would subvert the very foundation, the very nature of the limited government established by the people of America.
Our political class as created this confusion among the citizenry of the nation for the purpose of plunder. Their main instrument of plunder is not the obvious income tax, but as his fellow Virginian, John Taylor of Caroline described Masked Tyranny. These include, import tariffs, luxury taxes, and a Central Bank (today the FED, using its printing press robs wealth from the poor and middle class by devaluing the dollar with every note it prints in order to allow "Congress to employ money indefinitely").
James Madison believed that, "The legitimate meaning of [the Constitution] must be derived from the text itself." No implied powers, and no subversion, as what is practiced by lawmakers today. With the sneaky, dirty trick, backroom deals and other hogwash going on with the passing of this "Health Care Reform" bill, it would be great for people to read up and celebrate James Madison. They will learn and understand that as a private citizen he drafted the Virginia Resolution, which stated that the State of Virginia would protect its citizens from Central Government over reaching powers. This should ring a bell because Virginia was the first state to pass a law to protect its citizens from any Federal Government penalties that should arise from not purchasing mandated health insurance coverage should the Health Care Reform bill pass.
Some see the Kentucky & Virginia resolves as purely symbolic, and not really important. But statist founding father Hamilton, was raising an army and did suggest sending it into Virginia "to act upon the laws and put Virginia to the Test of resistance." Also historian Clyde Wilson states:
This established interpretation is a lie and requires a good deal of either ignorance, self-deception, or deliberate falsehood to peddle. It is true that the Virginia and Kentucky acts were not followed up by active resistance to the feds. They did not have to be, because Jefferson and his friends won the following elections, got rid of the bad laws, and compensated those who had been harmed by them. There is evidence that Virginia and North Carolina were quite willing and able to call out the militia if necessary and that grand juries were standing by to indict any offending feds.
Well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT MADISON, and thanks you helping us become a great nation, and for your influence to help us from becoming the despotic nation you feared we might become.