Rerun: Before McCarthy...

This was originally posted at my old site.

In the extended, a look at the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798.

As I mentioned in a previous post about France, America came close to a war with Napoleon in 1800.

War was averted, but anti-French feelings before and after the conflict abounded. The Federalist party capitalized by passing laws designed to reduce or quiet their political enemies.

In 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts were aimed at these pro-Jeffersonian foes. The first of these oppressive laws was aimed at aliens. Most European immigrants lacked wealth and were therefore scorned by the aristocratic Federalist party. The aliens were welcomed as voters by the less prosperous and more democratic Jeffersonians. The law raised the residence requirements for immigrants wishing to become citizens from five years to fourteen. This drastic new law was meant to discourage and dishearten immigrants...it was also in violation of the traditional American policy of open-door hospitality and speedy assimilation.

Two additional Alien Laws struck heavily at "undesirable" immigrants. The president was empowered to deport dangerous foreigners in time of peace and to deport or detain them in time of hostilities. Though defensible as a war measure, this was an arbitrary grant of power contrary to the spirit of the Constitution. This law was never enforced.

However, one law that was enforced was the Sedition Act. It directly attacked two priceless freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights: freedom of speech and freedom of the press. This law stipulated that anyone who impeded the policies of the government or falsely defamed its officials, including the president, would be subjected to heavy fines and imprisonment.

Many outspoken Jeffersonian editors were indicted under the Sedition Act, and ten were brought to trial. All were convicted. Congressman Matthew Lyon was sentenced to four months in jail for writing about President Adams's "unbounded thirst for ridiculous pomp, foolish adulation, and selfish avarice." Another culprit was lucky to get off with a fine of $100 after he expressed the wish that the wad of a cannon fired in honor of Adams had landed in the seat of the president's breeches. The spirit of the Sedition Act was in direct conflict with the Constitution.

The Supreme Court was dominated by Federalists who were of no mind to declare it unconstitutional. This attempt by the Federalists to crush free speech and silence dissenters undoubtedly made many converts for the Jeffersonians.

Even so, the Alien and Sedition Acts commanded widespread popular support. Anti-French hysteria played directly into the hands of witch-hunting conservatives. In the congressional elections of 1798-1799, the Federalists rode a wave of popularity to score the most sweeping victory of their entire history.

Rerun: Tourism

This was originally posted at my old site.

In the extended, some rambling thoughts about the Colorado Rockies--particularly Pike's Peak.

Some of you may know a little ditty called "America the Beautiful."

The lyrics are as follows:

America the Beautiful - 1913 version
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self the country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America ! America ! God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice, for man's avail
Men lavished precious life !
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

-Katherine Lee Bates.

Ms. Bates was inspired to write this song after visiting Pikes Peak in Colorado. I was lucky enough to visit Pikes Peak myself a few years ago...and I can understand why Inspiration Point had the effect on her that it did. Being a flatlander, I tend to be impressed by large hills...so every chance I get to drive through Colorado, I try to time it for daylight.

I never fail to be awestruck by the beauty of the mountains. I think the most gorgeous view from the interstate is on I-25 north right after you get into Colorado from New Mexico. There is one point where you come over a hill and see miles of mountain peaks spread before you. In the foreground are mountains green with trees and vegetation, but rising behind them majestically are the high peaks covered with snow.

Inexplicably, when I see that view I start craving a Coors Light...but I digress.

Driving through the Colorado Springs area for the first time, I found myself playing the game of "Guess Which Peak is Pikes Peak." Each peak looks taller than the last. But I think when you finally see it, you know. And when you see it, you want to climb up there and have a look around. The day I had my look around, it was a little hazy, but it was still well worth it.

I took the Cog Railway up to the summit, and definitely recommend it to everyone. Not only can you relax and enjoy the scenery, but a guide rides along and relays the history and sights on the way. Once we reached the top (after about 1 hour, 15 minutes) you could see what seemed to be hundreds of mountains for miles around.

It was windy, and trying not to get blown off the mountain greatly added to the sense of adventure. There was one observation area that had railing, but for the most part...no railing. Nowhere to go but down...and down some more. Good time. If you haven't made it to Pikes Peak, try to go this summer or next. Bring your jacket, bring your camera, and I guarantee it will be worth the trip.

Posted by Jennifer at 09:00 AM | Comments (0)

Rerun: History in the News

This was originally posted at my old site.

In the extended, a brief look at Truman, MacArthur, and Eisenhower.

This story (Ed. note: link now dead) about President Truman was in the news yesterday.

The employees of the Truman Presidential Library recently discovered his 1947 diary. As you may have noticed, I have a lot of interest in our American Presidents and like to find out little insights about them.

The diary is interesting because it confirms that Truman had discussed having Eisenhower run for president in 1948. The plan was that Truman would be the vice-presidential nominee.

During this time period, there was concern that General Douglas MacArthur would run for president...MacArthur was a World War II hero and Truman was not very popular. MacArthur remained with the military, however, and Truman was re-elected versus Republican Thomas E. Dewey (and the States' Rights candidate...Strom Thurmond).

In 1951, during the Korean War, President Truman and General MacArthur clashed on war strategies...President Truman fired the General on April 11. MacArthur addressed Congress a week later, "I now close my military career and just fade away--an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye." Eventually, MacArthur did fade away.

Eisenhower became a Republican president with his running mate Richard Nixon in 1953. He was the first Republican to hold the White House since 1928.

Rerun: Presidential Fun Facts

These were originally posted at my old site. In the extended: Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and term limits.

James Carter, President 1977-1981.

He's funnier than you thought... On a trip to Egypt, President Carter was informed by a guide that the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in just twenty years. The president replied, "I'm surprised that a government organization could do it that quickly."

Carter could be rough on the press. He began one appearance by saying, "I'm not going to say anything terribly important tonight, so you can all put away your crayons."

Towards the end of his term, Carter's approval ratings were in the basement. Greeted by loud, unusual applause at an event outside Washington, he remarked, "It really is a pleasure to see people waving at me with all five fingers." _______________________________________________________

Richard Nixon, President 1969-1974.

President Nixon attended Whittier College in California, where he was an exceptional student. Graduating second in his class, he received a scholarship to Duke University to study law.

While there, Nixon and a fellow student--worried about their grades--broke into a professor's office to look at the grade sheets. Despite this incident, Nixon did very well and graduated third in his class at Duke. ______________________________________________________

George Washington, President 1789-1797.

The two-term limit that was established by George Washington was never broken until the Roosevelts came along. Theodore Roosevelt unsuccessfully attempted to win a third term after a dispute with President Taft in 1912.

Franklin Roosevelt won four terms, dying shortly after the fourth began. The limit became constitutional law in 1951 with the 22nd amendment.

Washington didn't really want to run for the second term, but he knew his stature provided legitimacy for the new country. He had no opposition in the 1792 election and once again the Electoral College elected him unanimously.

In 1796, he had enough. Disgusted by the partisanship in Congress, he returned home to Mount Vernon in March, 1797. To his disappointment, his retirement didn't last very long. President Adams sought his help with the military a year later.

He commanded the U.S. armed forces without ever leaving Mount Vernon. In December, 1799, he caught pneumonia and died. Retirement was sadly short.

Rerun: Vive La France

This entry was originally posted at my old site. It's a brief summary of the entwined histories of France and the U.S.A. with an editorial bent.

This isn't exactly a popular stance to take in America these days, but I have to say what I feel...I don't hate France.

They did us a pretty big favor back in the Revolutionary War days. Frenchmen sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to help us fight the British. One of their primary motivations was to stab Britain in the back, but it worked for us.

The French support of our war almost sent France into bankruptcy. The resulting economic hardship, coupled with American success at overthrowing an oppressive government, set the stage for the French Revolution in 1789.

Throughout the following century America and France had their share of ups and downs...as most relationships do. By the time 1800 rolled around, it looked like a war with Napoleon's France was inevitable. However, Napoleon had a change of heart regarding his interests in North America and we peacefully purchased the Louisiana Territory from him for $15 million in 1803.

For the American centennial in 1876, France wanted to do something nice for us. What they came up with was a 151'1" tall statue titled "Liberty Enlightening the World." Our Statue of Liberty arrived in 1885, and has grown from a symbol of the friendship between France and America to a global symbol of freedom.

During our country's formative years, the French were instrumental in helping us gain our independence. In the 20th century we had a chance to repay them. World War I began in the summer of 1914, and the U.S. remained neutral. For several years of fighting, the Germans attempted to take France. France and Great Britain kept the Germans from advancing, but after Germany began sinking unarmed ships America joined the Allies in 1917. The war was over in 1918.

Then came September 1, 1939...World War II began when Hitler's army invaded Poland. America declared its neutrality at once while Canada almost immediately declared war on Germany. By June, 1940 Germany controlled most of Europe. Paris had fallen when the French were pushed back by the German blitzkrieg. Great Britain stood alone against Hitler and within a month Italy joined the Axis. The United States remained neutral while Europe fell to Hitler's powerful military machine.

It wasn't until Pearl Harbor in December, 1941 that America entered the war. On June 6, 1944--four years after Paris fell--the Allies landed at Normandy. In 1945 the bloodiest war in history finally ended. Lots of people have been talking about how France "owes us" for World War II. My opinion is that we're even.

They don't owe us anything. We don't owe them anything.

Rerun: Presidential Fun Facts

These posts were originally seen at my old site.

In the extended, find out where Presidents come from, info on the deaths of Jefferson and Adams, and what James Monroe has to do with the capitol of Liberia.

Our 43 Presidents have come from (been born in) 20 states. Here is the breakdown:
*Virginia...8 presidents. G. Washington, T. Jefferson, J. Madison, J. Monroe, W. Harrison, J. Tyler, Z. Taylor, W. Wilson.
*Ohio...7 presidents. U. Grant, R. Hayes, J. Garfield, B. Harrison, W. McKinley, W. Taft, W. Harding.
*Massachusetts...4 presidents. J. Adams, J.Q. Adams, J. Kennedy, G. Bush.
*New York...4 presidents. M. vanBuren, M. Fillmore, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt.
*North Carolina...2 presidents. J. Polk, A. Johnson.
*Texas...2 presidents. D. Eisenhower, L. Johnson.
*Vermont...2 presidents. C. Arthur, C. Coolidge.
*Arkansas...1 president. W. Clinton.
*California...1 president. R. Nixon.
*Connecticut...1 president. G.W. Bush.
*Georgia...1 president. J. Carter.
*Illinois...1 president. R. Reagan.
*Iowa...1 president. H. Hoover.
*Kentucky...1 president. A. Lincoln.
*Missouri...1 president. H. Truman.
*Nebraska...1 president. G. Ford.
*New Hampshire...1 president. F. Pierce.
*New Jersey...1 president. G. Cleveland.
*Pennsylvania...1 president. J. Buchanan.
*South Carolina...1 president. A. Jackson.

If you noticed the numbers only add up to 42, you're correct. Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President.

_______________________________________________________

July 4, 1826 was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As fate would have it, two of its signers would die that day.

Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were our second and third presidents, respectively. They had been political allies and foes throughout the years. Both signed the Declaration of Independence, but it was Jefferson who ousted Adams from the White House after one term. Both men were determined to see the Declaration's 50th anniversary, and they did.

They also died within hours of each other on that same day. President Jefferson became comatose on July 2, but awakened briefly on July 3 to ask an attendant, "This is the fourth?" The attendant, wishing to comfort him, affirmed that it was. Those were Jefferson's last words...he passed away the next afternoon.

President Adams was also very sick, and a few hours after Jefferson passed away, he uttered his own last words, "Thomas Jefferson still surv(ives)..." before dying. Adams thought Jefferson had outlast him, but he was mistaken.

_______________________________________________________

James Monroe, President 1817-1825.

Liberia was founded by the American Colonization Society in an attempt to return freed slaves to Africa. Motives behind the society ranged from getting rid of "the negro problem" in America, to spreading religions, to sincerely returning blacks back to their native land. As a result, Liberia was heavily influenced by American culture. The capital city, Monrovia, was named after the fifth American President James Monroe who was a major supporter of the society.

Rerun: Nice Try, But...

December 7, 1941 is a "date that will live in infamy," but few people remember February 23, 1942, the date the Japanese attacked the U.S. mainland.

A Japanese submarine fired 25 shells at an oil refinery at the edge of Ellwood Oil Field, twelve miles northwest of Santa Barbara. One shell actually hit on the rigging, causing minor damage. On its face, the shelling of Ellwood beach in 1942 was not a major event of the war. It injured no one and did a mere $500 damage to a shed and catwalk belonging to the Barnsdall-Rio Grande Oil Co.

Yet, for a country still recovering from the Pearl Harbor attack just two months before, the 5-inch shells were enough to scare many into the belief that Japan could wage war on mainland American soil. After all, this was the first enemy attack on U.S. shores since the War of 1812.

The attack quickened the round-up of Japanese Americans in internment camps for the remainder of the war, a move Franklin D. Roosevelt had authorized just four days earlier. Seven months later, Japan struck the U.S. mainland once more...on September 9, 1942 a Japanese bomber hit the uninhabited mountains east of Brookings, Oregon.

The idea was conceived by the Japanese imperial general staff, still smarting from General Jimmy Doolittle's Tokyo raid. To retaliate, the Japanese hatched a plan to set the Oregon forests afire. They expected the flames to spread to the cities and panic the entire West Coast. However, three of the bombs were duds; the fourth started a small blaze that was quickly spotted and doused by forest rangers.

I was unable to find any documentation on whether the Japanese attempted to acquire sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. It is possible they found some mutated sea bass.

Rerun: Presidential Fun Facts

These were originally posted at my old site.

In the extended, an anecdote about Lincoln, JFK's return to the White House from Dallas, and Herbert Hoover in his later years.

Abraham Lincoln, President 1861-1865.

Walking one time between the White House and the War Department building was a tall, weathered man. The site at the time was a small park. Along came a crippled soldier cussing to himself about the government, president and all.

The tall stranger asked what the problem was. This young Union private, recently released from the Confederate Libby Prison in Richmond, said he couldn't seem to collect his pay from the War Department, despite his good and faithful service.

Well, said the stranger, he had once been a lawyer and perhaps if he looked over the soldier's papers he could be of some assistance. They sat under a tree to look at the documents. The tall gentleman wrote something brief on the back of the papers and told the soldier to see "Mr. Potts," who was the chief clerk in the War Department.

As the story goes, the two parted and went their separate ways, but a couple of onlookers stopped the soldier and asked if he knew the identity of his helpful benefactor. "Some ugly fellow who pretends to be a lawyer," replied the crippled soldier.

But he showed the two onlookers where the stranger had written the line, "Mr. Potts--attend to this man's case at once and see that he gets his pay." By the end of the day, the young man received both his discharge and his pay, in full. _______________________________________________________

Courtesy C. Brian Kelly, "Best Little Stories from the White House."

The waiting for this president to come home to the White House is long and tedious. In the interim, there is an invitation list to consider. Four secretaries madly type up hundreds of names and then, in a room full of aides, staff members, friends, a brother-in-law in charge, the names are read out loud for approval or disapproval.

Decisions, tough decisions...sometimes ruthless but all necessary. Speed is absolutely mandatory. Telegrams must go out right away. Now! Barney Ross? Old shipmate. From his navy days. Yes. Billy Graham the evangelist? The really respected evangelist... Silence. Well? "Billy considers himself a close friend of the president," says aide Lloyd Wright. Again, silence.

"By now," wrote an onlooking David Pearson years later, "there is real embarrassment in the air." Someone says they occasionally played golf together. Finally, a voice of authority, "No." Next on the list? And again the names. Yes, no. No, no, no...yes.

With Pearson, a high-ranking Peace Corps official, called in to help, the group headed by his boss, the brother-in-law, eventually has to move down the corridors, through darkened historic rooms, into the big room at the far east end of the main floor. The East Room.

By now it is 1:00 a.m. They are busy studying the old Lincoln pictures. They move out the grand piano. Word now comes to expect him at about 2:30 a.m. What about a crucifix, says Pearson. They send for one, but..."it turns out to be pretty awful, with a bloody corpus."

The brother-in-law, Peace Corps director Sargent Shriver, says, "That's terrible. Go get the one in my bedroom." Soon done. Modern and much more suitable. Past 4:30 a.m., "in the blackest part of the night, just before dawn, headlights begin to cut through the gloom in front of the White House. Most of us, embarrassed and feeling out of place, retreat to a corner of the East Room."

He is in the house. Pearson would never forget. "I hear the routine sound of doors opening and closing, low voices. Then come sounds that make me shiver. A military voice snaps a 'march' command; there is the clipped staccato sound of boots hitting the hard floors." In moments, the strained young men, stern-faced but obviously awed by their task.

They carry in the casket and set it down. He is here at last. "There is a short pause; no one knows quite what to do first. No one has had any experience. What do you do when you bring a dead President into the East Room of the White House at 4:30 in the morning?"

Prayers from the priest...and suddenly, in the doorway, she stands, his brother Bobby on one side and defense secretary Robert McNamara on the other. An altar boy is lighting candles at each corner of the casket, and she stands there, eyes wide with disbelief, clothing still stained by blood...Jackie is back, too.

In an age, in a few minutes, the very private scene is over. One long moment she is at the casket kneeling, laying her forehead on it. "There is dead silence. Absolutely no sound of any kind." She begins to stand, and then it happens.

She slumps back down sobbing, sobbing, "rocked by sobs." Bobby helps, holds her...lets her cry. In the days ahead, noted Pearson later, she would present a regal, strong, "almost inhumanly stoic" image to the world...people might even wonder if she mourned, really mourned. "But those of us in the East Room tonight know she did."

For the remaining aides, the long night's wait is over. "They have brought John Kennedy home."
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Herbert Hoover, President 1929-1933.

President Hoover is one of my personal favorite presidents. First of all, I always like an underdog...and he had the misfortune to become president the year of the stock market crash in 1929. Second, I have been to his Presidential Library several times due to proximity and therefore know quite a bit about him and the good works he did.

The following story from Dr. Zebra tickled me: In his later he years he was "deaf and nearly blind." Hoover could use this to his advantage. In 1963 there were several celebratory events upon the successful conclusion of NASA's Project Mercury...finally there was another banquet, with a lot of speeches.

Former president Herbert Hoover was there, sitting next to Walt Williams at the head table.When Jim Webb [the chief of NASA] got up to talk, I noticed Hoover whispering in Williams's ear. I asked about it later. "He asked who that was," Williams said. "When I told him Jim Webb, he turned his hearing aid off and asked me to poke him when Webb was finished."