What Will You Do on the Fourth?

Hamilton wrote that even in the case of the rise of a tyrant, the real enemy would be the apathy and inaction of the public.”

Maybe you’ll go to a picnic. Maybe you’ll attend a parade. Probably, you’ll see or hear fireworks — all in celebration of our 250th anniversary as a nation. But please, do me a favor: Somewhere in there, take some time to read the Declaration of Independence.

Trust me, my interest here is not to drag you into a rehashed history lesson everyone gets in school. It is, rather, that you take some time to reconnect yourself with the ideals and purposes of the Founders.

It won’t take you long. First, you’ll see the familiar words of Jefferson’s introduction and philosophical basis. “When in the course of human events…” and “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” and so on. Two minutes, max.

What may surprise you is what comes next. Did you ever really read it? It’s a laundry list of 27 grievances against the king. Read them, seven minutes max. Think about them. Anything ring a bell?

Some of them might seem irrelevant today, but only some. Others may raise potential concerns. And some may trigger huge alarm bells.

What you’ll see overall is the consummate determination of the Founders to put a stop to the king’s abuses of executive power. They were willing to burn it all down, fight a war, and risk execution for treason — all for the chance to begin anew and construct a government that would prevent these abuses from ever happening again.

Eleven years later, they were able to hammer out a brilliant framework for that government in the Constitution. It wouldn’t hurt to read that, too, but you should really take a look today at Article II. It describes the powers and limitations of the executive, the president. You may be surprised again, this time to see how limited those powers are.

As I write this, I happen to be in Italy, where, for the second year in a row, I witnessed their June 2 observance of Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica). It’s a commemoration of the establishment of the modern Republic of Italy after the abuses of Mussolini and the fascists, who dragged the country into dictatorship and war.

Italians don’t “celebrate” this day the way you might expect. Their observances include parades, but they are not exuberant. In bigger cities like Rome, they come close to that, but in many towns, officials and a band will march through the streets while citizens come out to watch, and then fall in to walk behind. The mood is almost somber, certainly restrained. When they reach the town hall, dignitaries make a few short speeches while people reflect on their country’s struggles and successes since 1945.

Italians know how fragile democracy is. The oldest ones remember firsthand. They treasure it now, as they have seen its blessings transform their country in the wake of catastrophe. And they are determined to keep it.

Italians, along with many other peoples worldwide, have been inspired by the ideas and accomplishments of the American Revolution. Most of Europe now enjoys democracy that descends from that pivotal era.

Why has this type of government, downright experimental at the time, had such widespread appeal and success? Back then, there were real or would-be tyrants in nearly every country. It was a principal concern of the framers of our Constitution, and they fiercely debated the nature and scope of the executive office they were creating. Alexander Hamilton, in particular, worried about the potential for abuse in the case of the election of a president who was adept at stoking division and manipulating it to expand his power.

So Hamilton and others fought to guard against any chance of an executive takeover. They ultimately succeeded in securing a balance of powers, with the requisite checks and balances between three separate branches of government. After more than two and a half decades of struggle, they had established an innovative system that ensured stability for the next two and a half centuries.

Americans love anniversaries, especially those in big, round numbers. Those of us who remember the Bicentennial, in 1976, will recall the months of preparation, the “Bicentennial Minute” history lessons during TV commercial breaks, the coming together of people and politicians of all stripes to celebrate the promise and persistence of our founding ideals.

This year, though, it seems almost a footnote by comparison, as the nation is so clearly divided. One side seems not to feel much like celebrating, while the other side seems not to be interested in calling too much attention to the ideas of the Founders. We should be doing both. Hamilton wrote that even in the case of the rise of a tyrant, the real enemy would be the apathy and inaction of the public.

So, by all means, have fun on the Fourth, but not without also taking time to reflect on the Declaration, on the dangers of power resting in one pair of hands, and on Ben Franklin’s famous quip upon completion of the Constitution. As he emerged from Independence Hall, he was asked what kind of government had been established, a monarchy or a republic. He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Jonathan Bill taught history in Peninsula schools for 32 years. He lives in Wauna.