I disagree. My statement has substance, it is just not of a kind you appreciate. Justifying individual rights based on a deity-based axiom is the antithesis to objectivism. And, using the term "Conservatives" demonstrates that you are victim of the false left-right paradigm. Because, those who call themselves conservative these days are not even close to the true meaning of the term.

<scorn>
:)

Yep. I don't want to be holding up that dead weight. I have my own responsibilities.

Actually it was an interesting piece despite the religious angle. The focus in on individual rights is where we intersect nicely (politically) with Conservatives. This is often where you cannot get agreement with many libertarians. Your comment lacks substance. You seek to discredit by stating he was religious without discrediting what he actually was making arguments for.

Booo......a religious nutball, nothing more. (as if there is another kind)

You need to back up a little from that and go to John Adams anti-sedition acts, then even further to Washington and Hamilton and the Whiskey Rebellion.

I don't remember that Ayn Rand ever said that the
downfall of the nation began with Lincoln. I do know that she said,"It was the agrarian, feudal
south that practiced slavery. It was the industrial-
ized, capitalist north that wiped it out." Also she
said "The phrase 'states rights' is a contradic-
tion in terms; there can be no such thing as the
'right' of some men to violate the rights of oth-
ers." Also, that "there is no such thing as 'the
right to enslave.'"

I have received scorn elsewhere for opining that the U.S. Constitution is a divine miracle.
I will not back down.
Damn the torpedoes--

Agreed. It would be more fun to talk about Jefferson aiding France to put down the slave rebellion in Haiti when France re-instituted slavery there.

"the duty of immigrants to assimilate" -- how refreshing! -- j

OTOH, Jefferson could have believed what he wrote in the Declaration, and thought that the land in question would better serve free men than obvious despots. Jefferson also feared that a war with France could be avoided by taking advantage of France's short term economic weakness and removing their claims to the area through a purchase.
Jefferson also feared that the act would transfer power from the states to the feds, a result that he wished to avoid, but viewed the danger from France to be the greater threat. He may have miscalculated there.

You're beating a dead horse here. Could you please refrain.

The internal threats which should not be ignored.

I think the fall began with Jefferson when he became president and (in 1803) foresook his oath to protect the constitution but instead relabled a purchase as a treaty, all the time admitting exactly what he was doing was to "go around" the Consitution. The Republic did not really last as envisioned for two decades.

Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I liked the synopsis that Mr. Moffit gave and look forward to doing some more research into the writing of Mr. Brownson.

I agree. Did all of you miss this quote?

“The American constitution is not founded on political atheism, but recognizes the rights of man, and therefore, the rights of God.”

it seems that we have had some very strong thinking people in our history that have been prophetic with respect to how the nation was going.

today we can see from the observations of Ayn Rand how the nation is going, but it would be wonderful to know what he was observing back then that gave him the insight to cause him to present his ideas as he did. I believe that Ayn Rand wrote that the down fall of the nation started with Lincoln. He is the proof.

To me, it comes from the same old “This is a Christian nation” standard conservative perspective---both Brownson and Moffitt. Maybe I missed something all of you see.

:-)

My pleasure! I'm glad I saw it :-)

she likes to keep us hopping :)

Nice article. Thanks for the education.

Nope! Although I had a great Government teacher, I don't remember this being taught. Ever.

Very interesting, but are you really suprised that you didn't learn about him in school.