The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-07-03
Self Evident Truths
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Were the Declaration OF indie
pendence nothing more than a call
to rebellion OF the people OF col.
ony against It's ruling country, It
would be noted in passing as an
historical document. The Declare.
ton lives this century and half
because II is so much more than
that. II is a philosophic discussion
OF the dignity OF man; IL is a relig-
ious iteration OF the relations be-
tween Man and his God.
According to the Declaration OF
independence, Man is not a creature
Of political determinism but is gov.
erned by the Laws OF Nature and
Natures Cod" and II is from those
laws that he is entitled to form
his decisions. Basically 1t comes
10 this:
We hold these Truths to be self
evident, that all Men are created
equal. that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalien.
able Rights, that among these are
Life. Liberty. and the Pursuit Of
Happiness.
These unalienable rights no gov.
eminent can take away from the
individual because they emanate
from God. Here is q political tract
upon which all the law and tradi.
ton OF this country is based which
frankly roots itself not in politics
but in religion, not in the leader
ship OF any man but in the eternal
authority OF God. This nation
then was born in faith in God, not
in the civil wars OF man.
For, mark you, those who wrote
and signed the Declaration declar-
ed government to be a vehicle to
perform certain purposes, a utility,
functional instrument. II says:
a.. That to secure these Rights,
Governments are instituted among
Men. deriving their just Powers
from the Consent of the Governed,
that whenever any Form OF Govern
ment becomes destructive of these
Ends. 1t is the Right of the Peo-
pie to alter or to abolish II, and
to institute new Government, lay
ing its Foundation on such Princi-
Piles, and organizing its Powers in
such Form. as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their Safety
and Happiness. -"
II is Tremendously important at
tbs time to note the emphasis.
What was regarded as fundamental
was not the government, which
might justly be- altered or abolish
ed, but the rights OF Life. Liberty
and the Pursuit of Happiness which
came TO Man by the grace OF God
Whatever the government might
be. however, 1t might function, It
could, according to this funda-
mental American doctrine, exist
justly only with the consent OF the
governed" And at no point is any
compromise suggested with this
foundation Of political justice, any
more than compromise is posi-
BILE with the Ten Commandments.
Because It Is moral, not a po-
litical, doctrine. It stands unchange-
able for all time.
hC NthNi al lhtdi Vi NllG btCldl a
ton Of independence, then, is that
Man being endowed with gifts
from God and certain unalienable
rights forms a government whose
powers must conform to three
rules: /. that the government abide
by Gods laws-which is morality;
2. that the government exist by the
consent OF the governed-which
is democracy In the modern sense;
3. that it must serve for the protec-
ton of unalienable rights, par
ticularly. Life. Liberty and the Pur-
suit of Happiness.
This is the American ideal. 1t |
is incorporated in the Preamble to |
the Constitution:
I'VE the people OF the United |
States. in Order to form a more |
perfect Union, establish Justice, in |