Jeffersonian or Lincolnian?

I look at the United States in two different phases. The Jeffersonain phase, which true republicanism took place, and Lincolnian, where we see the evolution of the statist in American government. While many people look at both of these men as American heroes, you can't celebrate both and be consistent in the philosophies you celebrate.

John McSherry has done an excellent job of defining who both of these men are. I ask you tonight, are you a Jeffersonian or are you a Lincolnian? Most of you will probably have to read this before you figure it out, but for those who understand real American history, you should already know.

The Jeffersonian style of government was between the people and the individual states. It was imperative that the federal government be limited in scope, power and monopoly. What the liberals tout as Jeffersonian chaos, each state did what it wanted, even put forth the threat of secession to prevent federal monopoly.

There are two states that I know of that still have Jeffersonian Constitutions, Texas and Montana.

The Lincolnian constitutional drafts came after the Civil War where it was the Union who won the war, not the individual northern states. Lincolnian Constitutions were purposely tied to the federal government as written by Woodrow Wilson in 1908, “It was the War between the States that established arbitrary federal judicial tyranny over the American people.”

The issue of State’s Rights represents the resurgence of the Jeffersonian philosophy of state sovereignty over federal oppression and mandate. Since the Supreme Court represented the cornerstone of Lincolnian government, the executive and legislative branches followed suit.
One of the big questions refers to Lincoln’s “trashing on the Constitution” because it opened up a precedent that the Constitution was a living document from the Jeffersonian philosophy of limited federal government.

Even the Pledge of Allegiance refers to Lincolnian principles, “One nation, indivisible”, but wasn’t written as “50 states, united in common sovereignty”.

When your TEA party begins vetting questions of candidates, ask them, are you a Lincolnian or Jeffersonian?

The federal government should control the military, infrastructure, census and print money (lots of worthless money!) but the responsibility to govern is through state Senators and Representatives, you know, those crooks and liars we send to Washington. Lincoln gave us all that is wrong with Washington D.C., but the real power must come from each state and the Jeffersonian values which made us free. Did Lincoln really free the slaves? Or did Lincoln enslave each state?

John W. McSherry
USN (Retired)
Appalachia Ohio 6th District

Wow, those are powerful questions Mr. McSherry leaves you with. I'll leave it up to you, because regular readers of this blog know where I stand.