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Title: Bachmann Stands By Claims That ‘Founding Fathers’ Ended Slavery
Source:
RAWSTORY
URL Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2 ... ounding-fathers-ended-slavery/
Published: Jun 28, 2011
Author: Kase Wickman
Post Date: 2011-06-28 11:29:07 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 59437
Comments: 108
Rep. Michele Bachmann, who officially announced yesterday in Iowa that she is running for president, appeared on “Good Morning America” Monday, where George Stephanopoulos attempted to clarify some of her previous statements. Among them: Bachmann’s claim that “the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence worked tirelessly to end slavery.” “Now with respect, Congresswoman, that’s just not true,” Stephanopoulos said. “Many of them including Jefferson and Washington were actually slave holders and slavery didn’t end until the Civil War.” Bachmann dodged the question, answering, “Well, you know what’s marvelous is that in this country and under our Constitution, we have the ability when we recognize that something is wrong to change it. And that’s what we did in our country. We changed it. We no longer have slavery. That’s a good thing. And what our Constitution has done for our nation, is to give us the basis of freedom unparalleled in the rest of the world.” She goes on to claim that John Quincy Adams, who was a small boy during the Revolutionary War and did indeed eventually work to abolish slavery, should be counted as a “Founding Father.” Watch the visibly distraught Stephanopoulos’ interview with the tea party candidate, in which she discusses the minimum wage, Sarah Palin and her foster children. Originally aired June 28, 2011. Embedded courtesy ABC. 
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 14.
#4. To: Brian S (#0)
Actually, most of them did just this. Read the Federalist papers.
Wha...chuckle...huh? A) The Federalist was written by three people...John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and expresses only the personal opinions of each as an individual. B) There is no first person opposition to the institution of slavery expressed in any of The Federalist. The only alusion to this is stated in general terms regarding the 3/5's compromise...Hamilton #54: "Might not some surprise also be expressed that those who reproach the Southern States with the barbarous policy of considering as property a part of their human brethren should themselves contend that the government to which all the States are to be parties ought to consider this unfortunate race more completely in the unnatural light of property than the very laws of which they complain?" #38 mentions the slave trade but makes no moral judgement as to the institution whatsoever.
"It were doubtless to be wished, that the power of prohibiting the importation of slaves had not been postponed until the year 1808, or rather that it had been suffered to have immediate operation. But it is not difficult to account, either for this restriction on the general government, or for the manner in which the whole clause is expressed. It ought to be considered as a great point gained in favor of humanity, that a period of twenty years may terminate forever, within these States, a traffic which has so long and so loudly upbraided the barbarism of modern policy; that within that period, it will receive a considerable discouragement from the federal government, and may be totally abolished, by a concurrence of the few States which continue the unnatural traffic, in the prohibitory example which has been given by so great a majority of the Union. Happy would it be for the unfortunate Africans, if an equal prospect lay before them of being redeemed from the oppressions of their European brethren!" -- James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 42
#16. To: no gnu taxes (#14)
-- James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 42 That's about the importation of slaves not ownership.
Addresses the slave trade...not slavery... Thanks for reminding me about #42...btw...
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestAmong them: Bachmann’s claim that “the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence worked tirelessly to end slavery.”
#11. To: Badeye (#4)
Actually, most of them did just this. Read the Federalist papers.
#14. To: war (#11)
Replies to Comment # 14. It were doubtless to be wished, that the power of prohibiting the importation of slaves had not been postponed until the year 1808, or rather that it had been suffered to have immediate operation. But it is not difficult to account, either for this restriction on the general government, or for the manner in which the whole clause is expressed. It ought to be considered as a great point gained in favor of humanity, that a period of twenty years may terminate forever, within these States, a traffic which has so long and so loudly upbraided the barbarism of modern policy; that within that period, it will receive a considerable discouragement from the federal government, and may be totally abolished, by a concurrence of the few States which continue the unnatural traffic, in the prohibitory example which has been given by so great a majority of the Union. Happy would it be for the unfortunate Africans, if an equal prospect lay before them of being redeemed from the oppressions of their European brethren!"
#18. To: no gnu taxes (#14)
(Edited)
End Trace Mode for Comment # 14.
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