 The battles throughout the Summer, Fall and Winter of 1775 had been met with
some indifference by many of the colonists who had not yet worked up enough
dissent to rebel against the King. Sentiments were changed, however, by
Britain's tyranny and cruelty, along with the growing number of battles and
emotions that were fueled by statements written in the paper, "Common Sense"
by Thomas Payne.
Great Britain's King had exacted taxes unduly, the King's men were unjustly
cruel and the people had been reading the words of Thomas Payne:
"Government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens,
from whom the children of Israel copied the custom. It was the most
prosperous invention the Devil ever set on foot for the promotion of
idolatry. The Heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the
Christian world hath improved on the plan by doing the same to their living
ones. How impious is the title of sacred majesty applied to a worm, who in
the midst of his splendor is crumbling into dust!"
"As the exalting one man so greatly above the rest cannot be justified on
the equal rights of nature, so neither can it be defended on the authority
of scripture; for the will of the Almighty, as declared by Gideon and the
prophet Samuel, expressly disapproves of government by kings. All
anti-monarchial parts of scripture have been very smoothly glossed over in
monarchial governments, but they undoubtedly merit the attention of
countries which have their governments yet to form. Render unto Caesar the
things which are Caesar's is the scriptural doctrine of courts, yet it is no
support of monarchial government, for the Jews at that time were without a
king, and in a state of vassalage to the Romans."
"Near three thousand years passed away from the Mosaic account of the
creation, till the Jews under a national delusion requested a king. Till
then their form of government (except in extraordinary cases, where the
Almighty interposed) was a kind of republic administered by a judge and the
elders of the tribes. Kings they had none, and it was held sinful to
acknowledge any being under that title but the Lords of Hosts. And when a
man seriously reflects on the idolatrous homage which is paid to the persons
of kings he need not wonder, that the Almighty, ever jealous of his honor,
should disapprove of a form of government which so impiously invades the
prerogative of heaven." (Thomas Payne)
"Monarchy is ranked in scripture as one of the sins of the Jews, for which a
curse in reserve is denounced against them. The history of that transaction
is worth attending to." (Thomas Payne)
So, according to Payne, continuing with submission to the King of Great
Britain was the same as participating in the sin the Israelites of old had
perpetuated from "heathen" nations. The only answer was to sever ties and
declare independence.
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 With the motivation from the "Common Sense" and the white-hot
words of Thomas Payne ringing in their ears the Continental Congress
met at what is now the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the city
of "Brotherly Love." Virginia's delegate Richard Henry Lee called
for the colonies to demand independence from Great Britain.
Throughout June the debate raged in the Congress no doubt recalling
some of the battles and the unfairness of the taxation imposed by
the King. With the persuasive words of Thomas Payne and others who
wished for secession ringing in their ears, the Continental Congress
called upon Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of
Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of
Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York to write and
submit for consideration a draft statement that would serve as
justification for secession of the colonies from Great Britain.
By July 2, 1776 the smaller committee from the Continental Congress
had presented the Declaration of Independence, written primarily by
Thomas Jefferson over a two day period, to the Continental Congress
on July 2nd. The Congress voted for independence on that day, but on
July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress formally adopted the
Declaration of Independence as their singular voice to the Monarch
of Great Britain they would no longer be subjects belonging to him.
On that day in our history, July 4, 1776 Americans took a stand
against tyranny and injustice.
We are at a crossroads of sorts now in America. Although we have not
formed a monarchy in our government, we have a President who seems
to act like one occasionally. His personal "pen and phone" has been
raised on numerous occasions to circumvent Congress and has even
been called on it by the United States Supreme Court.
He has released terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to send them back to
their terrorist roots to fight again another day while trading for a
military soldier who apparently walked away from his post to seek
out the enemy. The President has circumvented Congress numerous
times in regard to Obamacare taking upon himself a monarch-like
governance. The President's actions in resisting closing the porous
borders of the United States as he is continuing to talk about
providing legalization of five to six million illegal immigrants
places him in a position of a unilateral monarch rather than an
elected President of a Republic. Perhaps it is time once again for
Americans to take a stand against tyranny and injustice as our
forefathers once did.
[By JIM KILLEBREW]
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