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As we all know, it was on this day in 1776 that the American colonies officially declared their individual independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was not, however, when actual independence was won. That would take many more years of hard fighting. Most readers, I think, will know my opinion on the Revolutionary War (and if you don't, a wealth of reading material can be found by clicking the label at the bottom) but rather than go into all that today, I would like to try to be a little more positive -odd for me I know. Because of the Revolutionary War, most Americans have come to have a very negative view of monarchy. However, nothing could be more unjustified. The United States of America would not exist were it not for the material aid of two prominent west European monarchies; the Kingdom of Spain and most especially the Kingdom of France. It may seem odd, a constitutional republic opposed to hereditary authority, traditional authority or established religion owing its very existence to two officially Catholic, absolute monarchies, yet, that is the case.
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Remember that, my fellow Americans, the next time the subject of monarchies overseas comes up in our foreign relations. Secretary of State Albright once famously said, "We don't do kings" when the Clinton administration was faced with the possibility of royal restorations in Romania and Bulgaria. Well, all I can say is that you Yankee Doodle types who think America is God's gift to the world should thank that same God that His Most Christian Majesty King Louis XVI did not adopt that same attitude toward republics or your beloved country and mine would not exist at all. Think about that. In the meantime, here is a look back at some of those who fought for American independence of whom I have at least a better opinion of than most:
The
Marquis de Lafayette
The
Comte d'Estaing
The
Marquis de la Rouerie
Even the most radical of the American rebels did not hold such a bigoted opinion of monarchy as many modern Americans do. Thomas Jefferson had a portrait of King Louis XVI in his "Hall of Heroes" at Monticello and no less a radical than Thomas Paine voted against the regicide of King Louis and warned his fellow revolutionaries in France that if they killed the King they would instantly sacrifice the friendship and goodwill of the American people. And so it was. Most Americans will never be convinced of the merits of monarchy but, looking at men like those above, and others, perhaps the American public can be persuaded that it is at least nothing to be afraid of.
The problem mainly lies in the retelling of the story, and how we shift the cause in our minds away from the sectarian tax Issue, and only the distinctive American Governmental ideals. Most Americans think America’s Founders were fighting for specific principals of Liberty, and we often see America’s Founders quoted discussing the ideas of Free Speech or Land Rights or the necessity of Limited government, so a lot of Americans assume the Government under King George lacked all this and the American revolution was about granting freedoms they never had before. They then associate the Form of Government with either Tyranny or Freedom. A monarchy is always a Tyranny that forbids us Liberty, and a republic is always a Free society that gives us Liberty.
ReplyDeleteOver Time the Republican ideals eclipse all the Facts, and in our general retelling of the War we have he Heroic George Washington, never doubting the cause of American liberty, standing as an inspiration upon those principals, guiding the forces of Liberty against Tyranny as a Brilliant Military Commander, fighting evil but ultimately faceless redcoats all of whom had to be shipped in from England. No American would fight for the King! ( And because of the new Celtic Love affair, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are also overlooked. England alone is bad.)
Is more the mythic retelling that people have in mind, and in that retelling there is little or no mention of France, and absolutely no mention at all of Spain. They simply were not involved, or not involved much.
Also, Governor Morris even supported Monarchy in France yet most Americans don’t even know who he was.
To them, the American Founders rejected Monarchy on principal and hated all Monarchies, because they associate all Monarchies with the evil King George and with Tyranny.
Of course he Logic is flawed. We know King George was not a real Tyrant, and even if he was it would not prove Monarchy must always be tyrannical. We know Republicanism has not always been a friend of Liberty, either.
But people tend to make excuses. The Soviet Union was communist, not Democratic, a good King may exist but his son may be bad and nothing can be den about it, ect…
At one point America’s founders did want to ship in a King from Europe, or at least it was discussed as a possibility, and most of America’s Founding Ideals came about well after American Independence.
I really don’t think people understand the real History, and worse they don’t want to, as the mythic version is so inspiring, and exciting, and now defines how they understand what it means to be an American. It also simplifies Politics.
Heck, that’s why TEA partiers think Americas founders all agreed on politics and would all support the TEA party now, and why liberals claim they are all like them.
No one cares about the reality, they want the malleable mythological Founders, and the flexible interpretation of the Ideals more than anything else. The Truth undermines this. The Truth complicates matters.
Of course, the ever-present cry of the masses, "Don't confuse me with the facts!"
ReplyDeleteOFF: Otto, Prince Royal of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia, Archduke of Austria, Crown Prince and hereditary King of Hungary has passed away today morning (CEST) at the age of 98 in his home of Pöcking, Germany.
ReplyDeleteRequiescat in Pace et lux perpetua luceat ei!
King George III and King Louis XVI were both good people. What a shame people don't understand the truth. Isn't it the same French people who fought alongside the American rebels the same people who defended Louis XVI when he was under attack from the French revolutionaries? The French people only helped the colonists to weaken the British, I think, not because they agreed with the Americans.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXVG2oaJ1c0&feature=related
ReplyDeleteNapoliano talks about the 'tyrannical' Stamp Act, Townshend Acts - how should these be refuted?
Why? Opinion cannot ever be refuted and those acts really had nothing to do with the monarchy. The King did not come up with them, Parliament did and the U.S. has far more draconian regulations and taxes today.
ReplyDelete