The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

The Eternal Truths and Relevance of
The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence contains some eternal truths that should always be kept in the minds of all people, as these truths speak to the Liberties and Freedoms of a people. These truths are the guiding principles of government in the affairs of all its citizens:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

A brief examination of some of these truths is necessary to ascertain the appropriateness of governmental actions by Federal, State, and local governments in modern America.

The first of these truths is “all men are created equal”. Equal in the eyes of their creator, their fellow citizens, and by government actions. Without equality in all arenas of governmental and social interactions, a people dissolve into the rule of the jungle, and the powerful people can oppress the less or non-powerful people. The Declaration of Independence makes no mention or inference to equity, only equality, as equity requires unequal treatment of people, as I have defined in my Equity and Equality terminology.

The second of these truths is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”. Our rights are not bestowed by the government, but by our creator. As such, governments have no authority to abrogate the natural rights of the people, but they are obligated to protect these natural rights. Whenever a government does not protect the natural rights of the people, it has not met its obligations to the people and to the creator, and, accordingly, it is an illegitimate government.

The third of these truths is that these natural rights include, but are not limited to, “among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The question is what these natural rights are, and how a government can protect these natural rights. The answer to this question is as I have written in my article on Natural, Constitutional, and Civil Rights. This answer is not definitive, as the examination of natural rights is an ongoing process by philosophers, theologians, and legal scholars. In America, we have tried to answer how the government protects these natural rights through the adoption of the Constitution of the United States and the implementation of Civil Rights laws under the Constitution. This too is an ongoing process as we determine additional natural rights or the need for further protection of a person’s natural rights.

The next truth is “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. This consent is in the form of a representative government, in which the people choose their governmental leaders in free and fair elections, and the governmental leaders are responsive to the will of the people. The people also consent to cede some of their natural rights to the government to ensure their safety and security, harmony in society, and proper justice when their natural rights are violated. Whenever a government disregards this consent, it is violating its compact with its people, and the people have the right to withdraw their consent.

Another truth is “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it”. If a government does not meet these truths of The Declaration of Independence in protecting the natural rights of the people, then the people have the right to change or replace their government to meet its purpose of protecting their natural rights. The people do not have the right to ignore government actions that they believe violate their natural rights, but they have the right to advocate for a change to these government actions. When legitimate changes to government actions do not occur, or there are repeated violations of natural rights by government, the people have the right and duty to replace the government with one that protects their natural rights.

Finally, “to effect their Safety and Happiness” is the primary consideration for government actions. Without the safety and happiness of the people, a government is just a ruler of the people. A ruler that is arbitrary and capricious in its actions. Such a government often devolves into despotism or other forms of authoritarian government. And such a despotic or authoritative government is anathema to a people dedicated to Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All.

Whenever a government does not meet these eternal truths of The Declaration of Independence, they are not, as President Abraham Lincoln has said, a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, and such a government is illegitimate and needs to be reformed or replaced.

Almost 100 years ago, on July 5th, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, President Calvin Coolidge gave a speech on the 150th anniversary of the American Revolution. In this speech, he reflected on the importance of The Declaration of Independence to history and its applicability to his modern times. This speech still rings true for the applicability of The Declaration of Independence to our modern times.

“It is little wonder that people at home and abroad consider Independence Hall as hallowed ground and revere the Liberty Bell as a sacred relic. That pile of bricks and mortar, that mass of metal, might appear to the uninstructed as only the outgrown meeting place and the shattered bell of a former time, useless now because of more modern conveniences, but to those who know they have become consecrated by the use which men have made of them. They have long been identified with a great cause. They are the framework of a spiritual event.”

Of the Declaration, Coolidge stated:

“It was not because it was proposed to establish a new nation, but because it was proposed to establish a nation on new principles, that July 4, 1776, has come to be regarded as one of the greatest days in history. Great ideas do not burst upon the world unannounced. They are reached by a gradual development over a length of time usually proportionate to their importance. This is especially true of the principles laid down in the Declaration of Independence. Three very definite propositions were set out in its preamble regarding the nature of mankind and therefore of government. These were the doctrine that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that therefore the source of the just powers of government must be derived from the consent of the governed.”

On the enduring principles of the Declaration, he declared:

“About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.”

Of his trust in our Founding documents, he said:

“It is not so much, then, for the purpose of undertaking to proclaim new theories and principles that this annual celebration is maintained, but rather to reaffirm and reestablish those old theories and principles which time and the unerring logic of events have demonstrated to be sound. Amid all the clash of conflicting interests, amid all the welter of partisan politics, every American can turn for solace and consolation to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States with the assurance and confidence that those two great charters of freedom and justice remain firm and unshaken. Whatever perils appear, whatever dangers threaten, the Nation remains secure in the knowledge that the ultimate application of the law of the land will provide an adequate defense and protection.”

On this day, the normally “Silent Cal” Coolidge spoke volumes on the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States to Liberty and Freedom. We would do well to remember his words of wisdom and to keep the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution intact in our governance.

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For more about the importance of Independence Day, I would direct you to the Hillsdale College web page “15 Great Speeches to Remind America what Independence Day is About”.