Concord Celebrates Constitution Day

There is nothing more American than the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Considering that there is an election coming, many would say that a reexamination of what our rights are as Americans is an important platform to be discussed. To that end, Concord University celebrated Constitution Day by hosting, along with the political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, a lecture given by Dr. William A. O’Brien. Dr. O’Brien taught history for 50 years, and much of that was at Concord. He was eager to return and discuss elements of the Federalist Papers that are often overlooked. 

 He began by talking of Carl Becker’s book, The Declaration of Independence. “The problem with becoming the definitive source of anything,” he said, “is that you become the final word, and when you become the final word, other opinions often get shunted to the side.” 

O’Brien argues that the reason it remains the definitive book on the Declaration is because it argues the opinion that many powerful people in this country share. In this book, Becker states that because Thomas Jefferson was heavily influenced by English philosopher John Locke, what Jefferson meant when he wrote “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration, what he meant was what Locke always said, “Life, Liberty, and Property.” O’Brien argued that because of this definitive opinion, we overlook the fact that what the pursuit of happiness meant in the 18th century meaning was the ability to help out our fellow humans. 

If that is what it truly means to pursue happiness, then why does this opinion still hold so much weight? O’Brien argued the it is because of many powerful people manipulating the history books to say that the unlimited acquisition of wealth and property is one of the certain, inalienable rights that we are endowed by the Creator with mention in the Declaration. O’Brien said that we as a people have allowed the powerful to tell us what the primary sources say, rather than reading them for ourselves, and coming up with our own conclusions as to what they mean. 

As an example for his argument, he examined writer Charles Beard’s 1913 work An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. In it, Beard essentially argues that the Framers of the Constitution, particularly James Madison, had an agenda and interest groups already in place that would benefit from its passing. His theory largely stuck, and according to O’Brien, was able to be used to progress many liberal concepts throughout the 20th century. So what does it mean? Did everyone in American history have an agenda, or did some of them want to change things and let their morality be their guide? 

O’Brien argues that because Beard’s theory became so popular, that it misses many facets and redeeming qualities of Madison. In Federalist Paper #10, Madison argues that if republican government is to succeed, then it needs to be run by virtuous citizens, whose opinions would be better through their patriotism than all of America put together, as well as by the virtues of men. If the people cannot govern by the sense of pursuing happiness in the 18th century meaning, then the government will fail. As citizens, O’Brien argued, we as a people have a voice in how our government is shaped. It is a reflection of us as a people. Therefore, it is on us to vote in the best of the best, and to put aside self-interest, then self-interest will slowly but surely be filtered out of our own. In order for that to happen, the citizens of this country must be informed. To that end, pocket Declarations and Constitutions were handed out.  Anyone interested in hearing more on what Dr. O’Brien has to say about the Constitution can tune in to his podcast found on www.whiterosesociety.org/DrBill.html.