Re: The joy of Democracy

On Sun, 20 Oct 2024 21:30:08 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

Who was it who said: “the price of liberty is eternal vigilance”.

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/105.html

"persevering lying. the British ministry have so long hired their
gazetteers to repeat and model into every form lies about our being in
anarchy, that the world has at length believed them, the English nation
has believed them, the ministers themselves have come to believe them, &
what is more wonderful, we have believed them ourselves. yet where does
this anarchy exist? where did it ever exist, except in the single instance
of Massachusets? and can history produce an instance of a rebellion so
honourably conducted? I say nothing of it's motives. they were founded in
ignorance, not wickedness. god forbid we should ever be 20 years without
such a rebellion. the people cannot be all, & always, well informed. the
part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance
of the facts they misconceive; if they remain quiet under such
misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public
liberty. we have had 13. states independant 11. years. there has been one
rebellion. that comes to one rebellion in a century & a half for each
state. what country before ever existed a century & half without a
rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their rulers are
not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of
resistance? let them take arms. the remedy is to set them right as to
facts, pardon & pacify them. what signify a few lives lost in a century or
two? the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of patriots & tyrants. it is it's natural manure. our Convention has
been too much impressed by. . ."


Thomas Jefferson

I believe what he was referring to in Massachisetts was Shays' Rebellon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shays's_Rebellion

The tree is looking a little wilted.