Happy Fourth!
In honor of the Fourth of July, I am dedicating my blog entry to Mercy Otis Warren, a long-forgotten, but recently resurrected Founding Mother of our nation. We hear a lot about the men who "put it together" but rarely, if ever, hear about the truly amazing women who answered the call of freedom in ways that transcended the bounds of gender - and often propriety - to help found our country.
In Warren's Observations on the New Constitution, and on the Federal and State Conventions cited in the article below, she has some tart observations. Particularly of note is item thirteen: "A Senate chosen for six years will, in most instances, be an appointment for life, as the influence of such a body over the minds of the people will be coequal to the extensive powers with which they are vested, and they will not only forget, but be forgotten by their constituents — a branch of the Supreme Legislature thus set beyond all responsibility is totally repugnant to every principle of a free government." Did she get it right, or what?
See the WONDERFUL review of a book about her on the most recent Beacon Broadside. The book appears to be truly worth checking out, and is going on my wish list now!
Posted by: Ann | Friday, July 04, 2008 at 08:48 PM