FAITH OF THE FOUNDERS: Patrick Henry Warns America Against Forgetting God
(QUICK READ) — Virginia’s Patrick Henry is most often remembered, when he is remembered at all these days, as the man who, months before the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, delivered these fiery words to a startled Virginia Convention Assembly: “But as for me, give me Liberty or give me Death.”
Patrick Henry, “Give me liberty or give me death.” (The Matthews portrait).
These remarks are typically credited to one of Henry’s multiple speeches before the Virginia Ratifying Convention that supported adoption of the then-proposed Constitution.
Henry opposed ratification, due in great part to the lack of a Bill of Rights. He later supported the Bill of Rights adopted after the Constitution took effect, but he remained an Anti-Federalist to the end of his life.
“Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue, and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.” — Speech to the Virginia Constitution Ratification Convention, 1788. Cited by Mark Strand.
Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States of America.
Many of the quotes reprinted in HillFaith’s “The Faith of The Founders” weekly series of posts are compiled from Benjamin F. Morris’ classic work, “The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States.” Morris, an historian and pastor, published the first edition more than a century ago.
Quotations are also compiled from Mark Strand, author of the Daily Inspirations email he shares on request here and that HillFaith highly recommends to all congressional aides, be they working on Capitol Hill or in a state or district office back home.
Mark Strand was for 16 years President of the Congressional Institute, and he is a former fellow of the Harvard Institute of Politics. He was also a 24-year veteran congressional staffer, including four years as Chief of Staff to Sen. James Talent (R-Missouri).
Thank you for this series. I have shared this with our young adult children.