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FFQF: George Mason on Virtue
Friday, October 24, 2008
FFQF: George Mason on Virtue
Posted by Hercules Mulligan at 12:00 AM
Labels: Founding Father's Quote Friday, George Mason, virtue
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5 Comments:
"But if we do not provide against corruption, our government will soon be at an end."
"Nor would the danger be less, if the executive has the appointment of officers."
I believe this man was a prophet, Herky. :)
My post is up:
http://akagaga.blogspot.com/2008/10/ffqf-jedediah-morse.html
Jefferson's idea of civic virtue is almost completely absent at the national level.
My FFQF is at http://sophronismos.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/founding-fathers-quote-friday-virtue-3/
Hi Jean and Dave. Thanks so much for taking the time to write these excellent posts and include your links here. Hopefully the Linky widget problem will be fixed soon.
Jean, I think that Mason was rather very familiar with history to know what he was talking about. Yes, he accurately foretold what has now come to pass, but one needs no special gifts (except perhaps the gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, a pure and enlightened mind) to know that seduction (which is how corruption begins) rhymes with destruction.
Thanks for your FFQF post. It was a pleasure to read!
Dave, I think you're absolutely right. The answer to the question "Why then," is because it is tolerated. We have spent a lot of time complaining about a lack of worthy "leadership" in our national government, but a lot of us have spent little time changing it, and we wait around every election year to see how the politicians will change it for us.
I'm heading over to your post right now.
Thanks for commenting. Happy FFQF!
P.S. Maybe you guys have noticed my new disclaimer. You probably know this, but just as an extra explanation, don't think that I put it up on the part of any of you -- not at all! Comments are more than welcome on this blog, and they are certainly welcome coming from my good blogging friends. But I can't believe how many times I have to delete spam. And recently, a commenter whose name I am familiar for slamming other blogs similar to mine decided to drop by to continue his little rampage. His kind are thankfully rare on the Internet (at least in my experience), but I put up the disclaimer for him and others like him to take warning.
Maybe this explanation is superfluous where you are concerned, but, thought I'd satisfy any curiosity you might have!
Very informative post! I knew nothing of Mason as a schoolgirl. It's a new world of discovery, learning about the "real" founders.
I apologize for getting to FFQF late this time. It's been busy here...
Just a sidenote to Brainbiter's remark about Jefferson. It's a curious statement, civic virtue absent at the national level. In a way, it's a ridiculous statement (no offense, Brainbiter!). what I mean is, if people within a nation are already virtuous, there is no need to emphasize national virtue; it would exist already. I think men like Samuel Adams believed this. Why stress national virtue when individual (and community virtue) will kill two birds with one stone, so to speak?
Hi Mrs. M. Glad you could drop by! Don't worry about being late; I know how it goes.
Great reflections on national virtue, btw. Civic virtue is absent because moral virtue in the private sector is lacking.
Thanks for your comment!
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