Hello Fellow Patriots

We now venture into the Constitution.  Before we start, however, I feel that it is very important that I start with a couple of conditions.  Vocabulary is extremely important.  Also, sometimes what the law doesn't say is more elegant then what it does say.  Congress adopted Bouvier's Law Dictionary of 1870 as the official dictionary of Congress.  After an exhaustive search, the closest I could get is the 1857 version.  Please note that this dictionary was published prior to Fredrick Engles publishing or writing of the Communist Manifesto to which he added the face of Karl Marx.  Hence, neither socialism nor communism are defined in this edition of Bouvier's.  I will not be referring to my 1913 edition of Black's Legal Dictionary, since by 1913, the Supreme Court started changing the definition of words through their decisions.

Onward and upward!

The Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. 

Let's start with, "...in Order to form a more perfect Union..."  

Question!  How does one improve on perfection?  If the colonists/colonies already had a 'perfect Union,' what happened to make it less than perfect?  Could it be that the colonies were perfectly content to have a king as their leader?  Could it be that when good 'ol Georgie the 3rd decided to levy taxes on the colonists that they (the colonist's), decided that what they had as a Union suddenly became less than perfect?

Could be!!  The colonists that were really outraged just happened to be wealthy land owners and successful businessmen.  Most of these elite of the colonies were educated, spoke Latin and/or French, as well as their native language of English.  The wealthy land owner's like Washington and Jefferson owned slaves and knew what it meant to be a slave.  I believe that it was Thomas Jefferson who stated that, "The power to tax is the power to enslave and we refuse to be slaves in our own country."  And then, of course, there was Patrick Henry's famous quote on March 23, 1775,

       "...It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace²but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

So, now we have the beginnings of a, "More perfect Union."

Next time we will start to go through the Articles that define are three equal but different heads of ourm government.

Until then, I am Eldee Charles Spratt, "The" American Patriot. (TAP).