The Pretended Causes Of War

From The Federalist Papers, Number 4, Here are the words of John Jay:

…there are pretended as well as just causes of war.

It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it; nay, absolute monarchs will often make war when their nations are to get nothing by it, but for the purposes and objects merely personal, such as thirst for military glory, revenge for personal affronts, ambition, or private compacts to aggrandize or support their particular families or partisans. These and a variety of other motives, which affect only the mind of the sovereign, often lead him to engage in wars not sanctified by justice or the voice and interests of his people. But, independent of these inducements to war, which are more prevalent in absolute monarchies, but which well deserve our attention, there are others which affect nations as often as kings; and some of them will on examination be found to grow out of our relative situation and circumstances.

John Jay wrote these words on November 7, 1787. What would he think of George W. Bush if he were alive today? What would he think of our current crop of presidential candidates?

Memo To America…

Put down your bibles for a while and pick up a copy of The Federalist Papers and learn what America is really supposed to be about. To help get you get started here is some of what James Madison had to say:

"A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance...."

"A standing army is one of the greatest mischiefs that can possibly happen."

"All power in human hands is liable to be abused."

"Conscience is the most sacred of all property...."

"Every word decides a question between power and liberty." (Speaking about the Constitution)

"I go on the principle that a public debt is a public curse."

"America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat."

"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

"Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression."