----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 2:49 PM Subject: Claremont Institute Precepts: Condemning Slavery and America > > > > > The Claremont Institute--PRECEPTS | | July 17, 2001 > Visit <http://www.claremont.org> | | No. 288 > > > Claremont Institute Precepts: Condemning Slavery and America > > By Brian T. Kennedy > > The California Legislature condemned slavery in America > last week, more than 135 years after it ended. The joint > resolution "acknowledge[s] the fundamental injustice, > cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United > States and the 13 American colonies," and "apologize[s] to > African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United > States for the wrongs committed against their ancestors who > suffered as slaves." The resolution - the first by a state > legislature - also urges Congress to establish a national > memorial, a museum, and a commission to study reparations. > In an age of political correctness, most politicians would > have difficulty voting against such a measure. Four state > senators had the courage to do just that. Here is why. > > First, the obvious: No black person alive in America today > was a slave. No American alive today owned slaves. Nothing > we do today can repay those poor souls who suffered under > slavery. > > Second, the idea of reparations is all but impossible. > Slavery in America was never a simple matter of black and > white: On the eve of the Civil War there were approximately > 4,000 black slave owners, as well as American Indians who > owned black slaves. Is anyone prepared to ask descendants > of black slave owners to pay reparations to descendants of > black slaves? Of course not. Instead, what all Americans of > all colors ask is to be treated as equal citizens. > > Third, America was the first country to be founded on the > idea of human equality, and, not coincidentally, the first > to publicly recognize the injustice of slavery, which > existed across the globe in 1776. > > In _Vindicating the Founders_, University of Dallas > political scientist Thomas G. West cites numerous occasions > of the Founders fighting against slavery, both in speech > and practice. In speech, many Americans echoed the > sentiments of John Adams, who explained: "Every measure of > prudence, therefore, ought to be assumed for the eventual > total extirpation of slavery from the United States.... I > have, through my whole life, held the practice of slavery > in...abhorrence." And George Washington: "There is not a > man living who wishes more sincerely that I do, to see a > plan adopted for the abolition of it." > > According to James Madison, the problem of slavery was the > most divisive at the Constitutional Convention. Even though > slavery violated the principles of human freedom and > equality, they had no other reasonable alternative but to > compromise. Demanding an immediate end to slavery would > certainly have caused the slave states to reject union > altogether, and establish a separate country more committed > to continuing the institution of slavery. > > West also points out that by enacting policies such as the > Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the American Founders sought > to put slavery on the road to "ultimate extinction". By > prohibiting slavery from spreading to the federal > territories, they had faith that the growth of free labor > and the promise of liberty would eventually wipe out > slavery as an institution. > > Fourth, so powerful was this commitment to the principles > of human equality and constitutional government that > Lincoln was willing to fight a Civil War in order to > prevent the South from destroying the Constitution, and > spreading slavery to those new lands. Some 359,000 Union > soldiers gave their last and fullest measure of devotion so > that the principle of human equality - what Lincoln > called "the father of all moral principle in us" - would > remain the central idea of the American republic. > > As Lincoln explained at Gettysburg, the blood of those who > died in that struggle stands as the highest testament to > the wrongness of slavery. If one wants to memorialize the > struggle over slavery, the Lincoln Memorial along with > Arlington National Cemetery are the best examples of how > Americans viewed the evils of slavery, and the lengths they > were willing to go to end it. > > The politics and rhetoric from the American Founding > through the Civil War can rightly be described as the > greatest anti-slavery crusade in human history. This used > to be obvious to every child in grade school. Today this > is not so. Civic education in America is at an all time > low, and the recent actions of the California Legislature > is but one example of this decline. > > Legislative resolutions are meant to instruct the citizens > of California about matters of great import. The purpose of > this resolution is to divide, to pit race against race, and > to inspire contempt for the political principles and > institutions that have led to the freedoms we have today. > Some legislators were absent or abstained from voting for > the resolution. The record does not say which. Senators > Dick Ackerman, Tom McClintock, Bill Morrow, and Rico Oller > on the other hand were willing to be counted on the side of > the Constitution and the principles of the Declaration of > Independence. For this they deserve our praise and our > thanks. > > Brian T. Kennedy is Vice President of the Claremont > Institute and Director of their Golden State Center in > Sacramento. > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Copyright (c) 2001 The Claremont Institute > > To subscribe to Precepts, go to: http://www.claremont.org/1_precepts.cfm , or e-mail us at [email protected] . > To be removed from this list, go to : http://www.claremont.org/remove_public.cfm , or e-mail us at [email protected] . > For general correspondence or additional information about the Claremont Institute, e-mail : [email protected] , or visit our website at : http://www.claremont.org . > Changing your e-mail address? Please let us know at : [email protected] . > For press inquiries, contact Nazalee Topalian at [email protected] or (202) 265-9010. > Author and Claremont Institute attribution are required if used for publication. Please contact [email protected] for Tear Sheet information. > > > The mission of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship > and Political Philosophy is to restore the principles of the American > Founding to their rightful, preeminent authority in our national life. > > The Claremont Institute | 250 West First Street | Suite 330 | Claremont, > CA 91711 | Phone (909) 621-6825 | Fax (909) 626-8724 > > > > > >

Sorry, I had no intention of sending this to TXBROWN!!!! sheila ----- Original Message ----- From: John & Sheila Lauducci <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 1:44 PM Subject: [TXBROWN] Fw: Claremont Institute Precepts: Condemning Slavery and America > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 2:49 PM > Subject: Claremont Institute Precepts: Condemning Slavery and America > > > > > > > > > > > > The Claremont Institute--PRECEPTS | > | July 17, 2001 > > Visit <http://www.claremont.org> | > | No. 288 > >