The Declaration of Independence

 In Saturday's post, I suggested that you should go read the Declaration of Independence. Here you go. I couldn't make it more easy for you. And a hat tip to the American Partisan.

The Constitution is based on the Declaration. It would not exist without the prinicples laid out in the Declaration. The key idea embraced by the founders is that the government derives its JUST powers from the concent of the governed. Thus a hereditary government such as a monarchy could not be a just government, no matter how well intentioned. Similarly, dictarorships, military juntas, aristocracy, or oligarchy could not be legitimate. Some way must be found to give the people a say in the rules that govern them. But that would come later, after much thought on the issue. In the meantime, General Washington and the Founders had to win our Independence.