On June 5, 1788, in the Virginia Convention, called to ratify the Constitution, Patrick Henry foresaw what would happen in the future!
He knew the heart of George Bush Jr. over 220 years ago! He knew about a president becoming a king. He knew about criminal military acts going unpunished. He knew about empire building as we see today with the United Nations. He knew about minority groups forcing their will upon the majority. He knew about using fear to control the little people. He knew the evils of tyranny.
Patrick Henry, a voice for freedom, speaks to all of us from beyond the grave.
His words mean more today than they ever did! The stakes are much higher today than they were back in 1788.
His voice rings out through the ages like thunder, sounding the alarm, and calling out to each of us to do our part in preserving freedom and the integrity of our nation...
Please introduce the next speaker!
To my fellow citizens, I present to you Patrick Henry:
"THIS, sir, is the language of democracy—that a majority of the community have a right to alter government when found to be oppressive. But how different is the genius of your new Constitution from this!
How different from the sentiments of freemen that a contemptible minority can prevent the good of the majority! If, then, gentlemen standing on this ground are come to that point, that they are willing to bind themselves and their posterity to be oppressed, I am amazed and inexpressibly astonished.
If this be the opinion of the majority, I must submit; but to me, sir, it appears perilous and destructive. I can not help thinking so. Perhaps it may be the result of my age. These may be feelings natural to a man of my years, when the American spirit has left him, and his mental powers, like the members of the body, are decayed.
If, sir, amendments are left to the twentieth, or tenth part of the people of America, your liberty is gone for ever.
We have heard that there is a great deal of bribery practised in the House of Commons of England, and that many of the members raise themselves to preferments by selling the rights of the whole of the people.
But, sir, the tenth part of that body can not continue oppressions on the rest of the people. English liberty is, in this case, on a firmer foundation than American liberty.
It will be easily contrived to procure the opposition of one-tenth of the people to any alteration, however judicious. The honorable gentleman who presides told us that, to prevent abuses in our government, we will assemble in convention, recall our delegated powers, and punish our servants for abusing the trust reposed in them.
Oh, sir! we should have fine times, indeed, if, to punish tyrants, it were only sufficient to assemble the people! Your arms, wherewith you could defend yourselves, are gone; and you have no longer an aristocratical, no longer a democratical spirit.
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