The ideas drawn from by Jefferson were not pulled out of thin air as this next quote may reveal, though may not be his only source; there may have been others. If most of you know the complete second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, this may sound rather familiar, though worded a bit differently, and, was written almost 30 years prior to that document. [A] power which may chance to reside in a malignant being, neither invests [itself] with any right to command, nor imposes any obligation on us to obey; because this is evidently repugnant even to the very idea of right and obligation. On the contrary, the first counsel which reason gives us, in regard to a malignant power, is to resist, and, if possible, to destroy [it]. Now, if we have a right to resist, this right is inconsistent with the obligation of obeying, which is evidently thereby excluded. True it is, that if we clearly see that all our efforts will be useless, and that our resistance must only subject us to a greater evil; we should chose to submit, tho with reluctance, for a while, rather than expose ourselves to the attacks and violence of a malignant power. But in this case we should be constrained, tho not under an obligation. We endure, in spite of us, the effects of a superior force, and whilst we make an external submission, we inwardly feel our nature rise and protest against it. This leaves us always a full right to attempt all sorts of ways to shake off the unjust and oppressive yoke. Jean Jacques Burlamaqui; The Principles of Natural Law; in which The True Systems of Morality and Civil Government are Established (Originally Published: London: J. Norse, 1748; The Lawbook Exchange, N.J. 2006) pp 85-86
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:01:18 +0000
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