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On this Fourth
of July 2003, many citizens across our country will be celebrating the
227th anniversary of 'The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united
States of America' Edited in part from a message by Thomas Guinn
How's your knowledge of Florida History June 30, 1778 The American Revolution comes to Florida's First Coast. On this day British troops turned back attacking Americans in a skirmish at Alligator Creek, near Callahan. June 16, 1779 Spain joined the fledgling United States of America today by declaring war against England. Spain hoped to retrieve the colonies of East and West Florida lost to the English in 1763 and did indeed regain the territory in 1783. July 17, 1821 General Andrew Jackson formally accepts sovereignty to Florida on behalf of the United States in Pensacola at Government House and Fort Barrancas. American troops, led by Colonel George Brooke (for whom Fort Brooke--later Tampa--was named), with General Jackson following, exchanged courtesies with Spanish Governor Cavalla and a formal exchange of ownership ceremony followed.
Links of Educational interest: The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Brilliance of the Founders http://www.mackinac.org/print.asp?ID=5193 Take the "Civil War" quiz http://coolchange.net/freedomfirst/cwquiz.htm Beneath the Southern Cross http://home.infionline.net/~jtuggle/Cross.htm
Historical Quiz A past President of the United States is quoted to have said: "The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson...". Who was the President who made this
statement and accurately portrayed the shift of political
power?
Answer to last quiz: William Steffe Congratulations to John Wade of Inglis, Florida who had the first correct answer.
Let us hear from you
We welcome your input. If there is a subject you are particularly interested in, please let us know. Email us at Letters From Our Readers We will feature your concerns in a future issue.
For information on how you can help restore your freedom and responsibile government, and learn the truth about the history of our country, its founders and its documents, contact the league of the South at NEFLOS@net-host.netGet the facts they don't teach you in school .
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You be the judge Studies in Constitutions United States Constitution Article I, Section VIII
It's easy to see from the above so called "general welfare" clause why every bill that is proposed in the United States Congress is larded up with pork and if the legislation is esential, no one can afford to vote against is lest they be classified as unpatriotic. The following is a good example: Wars cost money. Last April 2, the president wanted "$62.409 billion for military activities in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom." That amount was part of the so-called "Wartime Supplemental" bill that was being hastily put together so that it could be voted on the next afternoon. But the total funds in the bill had already risen to $74.7 billion. With every passing hour, it seemed that some new spending that bilks taxpayers and has nothing to do with the war was being added. No one in political life wants to be called unpatriotic, particularly during times of war. What can you do when your elected representatives take advantage of America being at war to add on unrelated spending that: 1. the president won't veto because he urgently needs
to pay for the war; And just to seal the deal, they wanted to throw in a multi-million dollar payoff as hush money to the House of Representatives. These are patriots? In times gone by, mercenaries who did a lot less than this to take advantage of war would have been considered "war profiteers" and would have been taken out and hanged. How refreshing. Now, billions of dollars to expand unrelated governmental programs and special-interest payoffs will help re-elect these same types of scoundrels masquerading as modern-day members of Congress. So, what's in this bill outside the president's request for $62.409 billion to fund the war? Plenty. Here are a some examples: 1. $3.2 billion for an airline bailout;2. $250 million for Department of Agriculture grants; 3. $69 million for Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust; 4. $11 million for salaries and expenses for the House of Representatives (they already gave themselves a pay raise); 5. $5.5 million for the Library of Congress; 6. $6.8 million for the Congressional Research Service and General Accounting Office; 7. $16 million to research Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; 8. $100,000 for the U.S. Court of International Trade; 9. $165 million for the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act. The bill also includes $8 billion in foreign aid: 1. $700 million in "economic assistance" for Jordan;2. $500 million in "economic assistance" for Egypt; 3. $1 billion in "economic assistance" for Turkey; 4. $127 million for "economic growth" in Afghanistan; 5. $1 billion in "military assistance" for Israel; 6. $175 million in "military assistance" for Pakistan; 7. $170 million to "train the Afghan National Army"; 8. $406 million for Jordan...and the list goes on. How can they get away with this? Because the drum beat had already started. Who would have the courage to vote against all this unrelated spending when that "No" vote will be turned against them as a refusal to support our troops in war? The politicians are up to their same old tricks, this time taking advantage of Americans whose lives are in jeopardy on the battlefield. A clean bill to fund the president's request in support of the war could have been submitted and approved, but the politicians can't pass an opportunity to put their hands in our pockets. Early in 1861 a new nation was formed from six Southern states of the then existing United States. And on February 4, these states convened in Montgomery, Alabama to organize this Southern Republic. The delegates made it plain that their Constitution contained no hidden "implied powers": if it wasn't spelled out in the content of the document, the government couldn't do it. And they were careful to omit the vague catchall-clauses which power-hungry opportunists in office had hidden behind previously while distorting the intent of the U.S. Constitution, such as the "general welfare" clause. In the Confederate States Cnstitution, the delegates made it extremely difficult for their Congress to get carried away and appropriate large sums for the pet projects of the powerful few, or to levy additional taxes to raise the money for those projects. The delegates also eliminated many of the special favors Congress could do for the special interests. And they gave the president a line-item veto. Consider the following: Confederate States Constitution Article I, Section VIII
Compare the same clause from each of the two documents presented above. How would have you benefited had the latter been in effect this past April? You be the judge! Thanks to Kent Snyder of the Liberty Committee and Dave Russell of Crestview, FL for the inspiration
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Deo Vindice Newsletter is published by the League of the
South, Northeast Florida Chapter as a public service to the citizens of
Florida's First Coast
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