Thanks to Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) for sending President Coolidge's 1926 speech in Philadelphia commemorating our founding principles & honoring the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration Of Independence. ISI is one of several higher education firms Carol & I work with.
President Coolidge is America's only president born on the Fourth of July. Presidents Adams & Jefferson died within hours of each other 50 years to the day after the signing & President Monroe (my favorite president) died on July 4, 1831.
Below is an excerpt from the subject 1926 Coolidge speech. It addresses progressives' claims that we have somehow moved beyond the wisdom of the Founders.
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About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts & new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, & that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.
Thank you and Carol for this post. I WAS NEVER much on info on Presidents. But I do remember why Truman was picked to be Roosevelt's running mate - Henry Wallace was to be his VP. Wallace was well known. Some party leaders did not want him to be on the ticket because his feelings were leftist. Wallace was well known. Party leaders figured Roosevelt would not complete his term of office, as his health was frail. They picked an outsider, who was not well known as his running mate. That person from mid west - Harry Truman - rest is history.
ReplyDeleteI also remember NY Daily News on eve of election, put an edition with LARGE TYPE front page DEWEY WINS BY LANDSLIDE.
It took several days for votes to be counted, close election - Truman won.
DEWEY at that time was district attorney for state of NY and was well known and well liked.
Doug - Just got around to reading the post on Calvin Coolidge's speech . All I can say is Wow.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing insight he had. His words were prophetic about what has happened to this country. I'm not a social media person but if I was, I would post this speech in the hope it would go viral. I've always believed that progress is overrated and not always the best answer. In fact, I believe that many of the things that are now available to us, have been detrimental to our families and our lives. The more we have, the more we want, the worse off we are. It's time the people stop being taken as fools.