Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address

"About to enter, fellow-citizens, on the exercise of duties which comprehend everything dear and valuable to you, it is proper you should understand what I deem the essential principles of our Government, and consequently those which ought to shape its Administration.  I will compress them within the narrowest compass they will bear, stating the general principle, but not all its limitations.  Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none; the support of the State governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns and the surest bulwarks against antirepublican tendencies; the preservation of the General Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad; a jealous care of the right of election by the people -- a mild and safe corrective of abuses which are lopped by the sword of revolution where peaceable remedies are unprovided; absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of republics, from which is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism; a well-disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace and for the first moments of war till regulars may relieve them; the supremacy of the civil over the military authority; economy in the public expense, that labor may be lightly burthened; the honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith; encouragement of agriculture, and of commerce as its handmaid; the diffusion of information and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason; freedom of religion; freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected.  These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation.  The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment.  They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety." - President Thomas Jefferson

Important Posts on Conservatism and the Conservative Movement

Here is an updated list of what I consider to be some of the most important posts from this site concerning the future of the conservative movement:

The Theme
The Twelve Points
Why the Twelve Points Are Needed -- Relatively Long Version
Why the Twelve Points Are Needed -- Short Version
Memory
The Twelve Points Are Unique
Conservatism: Many Principles, One Philosophy
The Twelve Points -- Just the Points
"Up To Speed"
We Can Make This Happen
All the Pure, Concentrated Conservatism that Five Pages Can Hold
Origin of the Twelve Points
No Ordinary Year
165 Sub-Points
The Purpose of the Twelve Points as a Definitive Statement of Conservative Principles
Americans Still Have Responsibilities Under the Constitution
The Idea of Conservatism, Which I Believe Is Well-Expressed By the Twelve Points, Too
The First Point
Another Discussion of the Division of Conservatives
Small-Government Conservatives and Conservative Principles Survived
Misunderstandings Concerning the Conservative Position on the Judicial Branch
Definitive Statements of Conservative Principles: the Text, Not the Test
They Are Not Conservatives
The Only Statement of Conservative Principles We Need?
One Year Ago
On Social Conservatism
Links Relating to Freedom
On the Uses of a Bill of Rights
Recurrence to Fundamental Principles
Among Other Things
One of Many Questions
Educating Legislators
The Twelve Points Compendium
Reagan
A Shared Feature, Used By the Twelve Points to Promote Conservative Principles
What is Our Plan For Communicating Conservatism and Its Principles To New Conservatives?

What is our plan for communicating conservatism and its principles to new conservatives?

As conservatives, we ought to have some plan for communicating conservative principles -- in all the detail that is needed for them to be implemented and followed -- to the largest number of people possible. This should extend beyond conservatives alone, but the movement cannot succeed unless these ideas are well-known and understood within the conservative community itself.  When the movement's memory fails or its attention wavers, we lose.  (If we win, it would be by accident. How could we intentionally implement a program of conservative reform without remembering what we're doing, and why, and how, and what we need to avoid?)

In the conservative movement, right now, what is our plan for communicating all of these ideas? Do we have one?

There are organizations and people who are making valuable efforts to make these ideas known to conservatives, among others, but the Twelve Points distill and concentrate the conservative philosophy and state it clearly, concisely, and memorably. For the conservative movement to continue on without the Twelve Points would be like traveling across the country without a vehicle. It could be done, but it would take a longer time than necessary, it would be difficult, and there would be a substantial possibility that we would fail.

The answer is clear: read and re-read the Twelve Points.  Endorse the Twelve Points.  Spread the word!  Recent history makes it clear that we can no longer simply assume that other self-described "conservatives" agree with us; that they truly understand the Constitution, rather than simply using it as a slogan or rallying point; that they are as interested in freedom as they are in invoking its name; that they understand that morality and responsibility are not incompatible with freedom, unless they are made incompatible by people who understand neither morals nor liberty; and that the future of the conservative movement may depend upon our ability and willingness to give greater emphasis and care to applications of our principles that, though familiar to us, have not yet been given prominence.  If we want to be united and strong, and if we want conservatives to understand conservatism itself, we will have to make it so.  We need the Twelve Points.

http://www.the12points.com/p/twelve-points.html

Jeffersonian Wisdom

"With those, too, not yet rallied to the same point, the disposition to do so is gaining strength; facts are piercing through the veil drawn over them; and our doubting brethren will at length see, that the mass of their fellow citizens, with whom they cannot yet resolve to act, as to principles and measures, think as they think, and desire what they desire; that our wish, as well as theirs, is, that the public efforts may be directed honestly to the public good, that peace be cultivated, civil and religious liberty unassailed, law and order preserved; equality of rights maintained, and that state of property, equal or unequal, which results to every man from his own industry, or that of his fathers.

"When satisfied of these views, it is not in human nature that they should not approve and support them; in the meantime, let us cherish them with patient affection; let us do them justice, and more than justice, in all competitions of interest; and we need not doubt that truth, reason, and their own interests, will at length prevail, will gather them into the fold of their country, and will complete their entire union of opinion, which gives to a nation the blessing of harmony, and the benefit of all its strength."

- President Thomas Jefferson, Second Inaugural Address

Comment on the Political Climate

At InTheAgora, recently, I posted this comment on the current political climate in the United States:

"...I do actually agree that the political climate has really soured and that it has been worse for the past several years than it was in either 2001 or early 2005.  Actually, I also think that it is snowballing and that something needs to be done about it...."

"I do not think that angry political commentary caused the shooter to do what he did.  Those YouTube videos of his make me wonder whether he was even capable of following that kind of commentary enough that he would be able to react to it or act on it in some way.  Still, for two reasons, I think that the shooting ought to be making people think about how things have gotten out of control, in politics.

"First, even if paranoid rumors and caustic political commentary did not cause this shooting, they could lead to something similar in the future.  It would be worthwhile for people to calm down and keep their claims about the other side rooted in reality, at least.

"Second, until Saturday, there would have been a lot of people who would have claimed that Rep. Giffords is a subversive agent of some sort of 100-year 'progressive' plot to uproot Americanescence and import socialism, who cannot be trusted, and who intends to cause us harm.  (There are others, of course, who assume similarly unlikely things about conservatives or Republicans.)  I do not know how many people would still say that about her, now, but I think that a lot of people have been shocked back into reality and into realizing that, first, she is a person (which is the most important fact, since people are something that we ought to treat with respect and care about), second, there is no evidence worth acknowledging that she is a part of some ominous plot against America, and third, she very likely meant/means well.

"The lesson is that we should make a point of recognizing these things even when the person in question hasn’t been shot.  I do not expect politics to become perfectly civil and honest, but we need to build up some sort of 'herd immunity' to guard against the spread of anti-[the other side] hysteria.  More people need to remember that even though criticizing the 'other side' is normal in politics, we need to be responsible, stay calm, avoid assuming the worst about the other side, and stop buying into everything that we hear others saying against them."

It is important for each of us to remember, also, that this excess is not just something that our opponents do.  Recognize the possibility that you, yourself, need to be a little more calm and a little more careful in deciding what to believe and who to accuse.