Dave Does History

You have often heard Bill Mick complain about GOP Republicans who give fire and brimstone conservatism speeches while running for office, and then turn into “do-nothings” once in office. He is, of course, not alone, nor is he wrong to express such sentiments.

But is it anything actually new when it comes to specifically the GOP? Today we fear today the slide into progressive socialism as a result of the GOPs failure to keep its principles and its word.

There was once a time when the GOP stood firm for those idea and principles. Until the election of a man who, along with his party, decided that in the interest of going along to get along,  their party would allow the undoing of all that had been bought – in blood and in sacrifice.

Among the founders of the nation stand many from Boston. For all the firebrands, the one who seemed more determined than any other to win American liberty was Sam Adams.

No… he was not a brewer. Yes, he did make malt – one of the main ingredients in beer, but he left the brewing to those who would honor his name later as they created their beverage in Boston.

Sam Adams was a skilled speaker and publicist. He used the newspapers and broadsides of the day to enflame passions and encourage action against British taxes. even the last royal Governor of Massachusetts would later say that no other man was as effective in promoting the American position against the Crown.

Later he would serve as a representative in the Continental Congress, where he would sign the Declaration of Independence.

After the war, he would serve as Governor of Massachusetts, but things did not go so well for the old firebrand. Ultimately events would lead to the Philadelphia Convention, of which Sam Adams wanted no part. “I smell a rat,” he famously said of the Convention.

As a leading Anti-Federalist he believed with passion that the proposed Constitution was a bad idea and would usurp not just the States, but the very liberties of the people for which he had worked so hard.

When the State began to debate the ratification, Sam Adams found himself elected to the State Convention…

So… what exactly IS history?

It’s an important question, perhaps even more so than “Why study history?” Like so many thing, if we do not understand WHAT we are studying, how can we have any realistic idea of HOW to interpret it?

Let’s take a look at two recent events, a Supreme Court case, the firing of a high school football coach in Bremerton, WA.  And the biggest “news story” in the country right now, the Martha’s Vineyard immigrants.

Each of these stories have their slants depending on which side you choose to follow. If you’re just an average person, how do you have any idea what is true, what is meaningful or what really matters?

If we can understand WHAT is history, then we can ask two further questions, who chooses what gets recorded as history? And Can we ever get the truth, the whole truth and nothing buy the truth?

We have – today – an almost scriptural reverence for the founding document of the United States government, the Constitution. To listen to most conservatives speak of the Framers is almost like going to church. They were, it seems, infallible. In fact, at least one painting in our own Capitol building portrays one Framer as being apotheosized.

But this week in 1787, the true feelings were more than a bit different. As the Convention was reached its final days, some of the rancor was in danger of boiling over into loud arguments.

On the final day, the President of the Convention at last broke his long silence and allowed for one last discussion to be decided. Even that was less about magnanimity and more about political opportunity.

As the final act, the oldest man at the convention, Benjamin Franklin rose to speak. He had planned to have his remarks read by others. But this moment was far too important for surrogates.

This was a moment to witness the rising sun…

It has been long established that the President has plenary powers when it comes to the foreign affairs of the nation. Wide latitude and power has been generally understood to be within the purview of the executive, as the Constitution is less than precise as to who exactly does what – other than advising and consenting on treaties.

Like many things though, that was not always the case. For much of our history it was presumed – by the Presidents and the Courts – that Congress was supreme. Rare was the President who would act on foreign affairs without at least some input from Congress.

But ninety years ago tomorrow, war started between Bolivia and Paraguay. While pretty much nobody outside of three South American countries knows much about (or cares about) this silly little war, the impact it had on the foreign affairs policy of the United States would be substantial and have reverberations right down to today…

In the summer of 1922, the Republican Party was in deep trouble. Tradition holds that all Presidents see their party lose seats in Congress during the mid-terms, but the Administration was facing the loss of seats to it’s OWN party! While the Republicans had trended to become more conservative, there was a significant segment of the party leaning full on into the progressive movement of the era. These progressive Republicans, led by Senator Robert Lafollette were gaining ground fast. All they – and the Democrats – really needed to take Congress was a scandal.  And few Presidents in history were better equipped to give the nation a scandal than Warren G. Harding…

The Rabbis tell us that some of the most important parts of the scriptures are the stories that we do not like. The tales of failures and embarrassing happenings that don’t seem to fit the overall narrative of a loving G-d reaching out to his people. The stories of death and murder and assault and war and strife that often leave us wondering, “Why is this here?”

At the end of the day, there are – more often than not – important lessons in these chapters that if we are willing to put in the effort, will prove instructive.

We have this idea that the American Revolutionary war was a series of great events that usually saw the Continentals getting the best of the British or the Hessians or the spies sent to find out our plans. We love to read and hear about the magnificent and inspiring victories and the mighty leaders who stood resolutely against tyranny.

Those are the takes we enjoy and from which we take our motivation.

But on this day in 1780, one of the darkest events of the entire war took place on the field in Camden, SC.

By the time the sun rose over Guadalcanal on August 9, 1942, the US Navy was just beginning to come to terms with the tragedy that had occurred in the dark night before. Many Naval Historians consider the action of the night of August 8-9, 1942 to be the worst defeat ever suffered by the US Navy, including Pearl Harbor.

Just two days before the Marines had landed on the island and seized the airstrip which the Japanese had begun to build there. Just nine months after the war began, it was a bold move, made with confidence and élan. But now, that confidence was gone. destroyed at the point of Long Lance torpedoes fired by Japanese cruisers that had gone virtually undetected. Five Allied heavy cruisers were sunk or heavily damaged and more than a 1000 sailors had perished.

Shock and dismay flooded through the Navy and its Commanders. The Marines ashore understood that nothing was going to be easy now. What had seemed to be an easy victory the day before, was now in serious doubt.

But as the sun rose over the South Pacific that terrible morning, virtually no one realized the error that had been made. And despite the loss of five heavy cruisers and a thousand men, it hadn’t been the US Navy that made it…

On August 2, 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress gathered to finish what they had begun back in July. Now, each of the men was called forward, one at a time, to affix his name to the final version of the document which had already electrified the world. On what should have been a joyous day, the full weight of what was happening was hitting home.

Benjamin Harrison of Virginia, joked with Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts that when the King hung them, Harrison would die quickly because of his weight, while Gerry would dangle and dance “for hours” because he was so small. For a moment, the joke broke the unexpected gloom of the morning.

There was one man who did not sign that day. He had already signed back on July 4th. As the President of the 2nd Continental Congress, John Hancock had the honor of speaking on behalf of the new nation and had put his flourished signature on the document before any one else. When the members of Congress had seen his giant “John Hancock,” the comment had been made that the British would be able to read it without spectacles. Hancock himself was reported to have said, “There! I guess King George will be able to read that!”

John Hancock is a man like so many of our founders. He is renown for the legend, but flawed in his little known real life. He will leave Congress under a cloud of suspicion over his financial responsibilities to Harvard University. Like so many Founders, he will attempt to lead a military campaign in the war which will end in a disaster. Later he will be the first elected Governor in Massachusetts, but is forced to resign for “health reasons,” as once again, questions about his management of things are raised. This time with life and death consequences.

But in 1787 he is re-elected to the governorship of his state.

And it is then that the legend of John Hancock will at last live up to the legend of his signature on the Declaration of Independence…

My least favorite phrase is: “Everybody knows…” I have been known to hang up on callers who sprinkle their diatribe with that idiotic phrase.

First off, NOT “everybody knows.” If “everybody knew,” then there would no conflicts, no happiness, no conversation, no science, no exploration and no need to learn anything… well… new.

Or, in my case, something old. Which might be new to you. Because NOT “everybody knows.”

We think of our country today as “more divided than ever.” I mean, “everybody knows” that, right? Putting aside for the moment, the US Civil War, is this a time when we are the “most divided ever?”

On July 26, 1788, a small but miracle took place in Albany, NY.

Today, we just assume that everything was perfect and united and that “everybody knows” it happened. But it was just by a scant three votes, that New York voted to ratify the new constitution. Today, “everybody knows” that our government, of, by and for the people was easy to establish because it makes sense and it served our liberty best.

But believe me when I tell you this: what “everybody knows” is wrong…