Presidents' Day

CONSTITUTION:

“Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties. And not to Democrats alone do I make this appeal, but to all who love these great and true principles.” August 27, 1856, Lincoln's Speech at Kalamazoo, Michigan

“Let us then turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it.” July 10, 1858, Lincoln's Speech at Chicago

“I have borne a laborious, and, in some respects to myself, a painful part in the contest. Through all, I have neither assailed, nor wrestled with any part of the constitution.” October 30, 1858, Lincoln's Speech at Springfield

“The people -- the people -- are the rightful masters of both congresses, and courts -- not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.” September 16 and 17, 1959 Lincoln's Notes for Speeches at Columbus and Cincinnati

“I am exceedingly anxious that this Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be most happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his almost chosen people, for perpetuating the object of that great struggle.” February 21, 1861, Lincoln's Speech to the New Jersey Senate

DESPOTISM:

“When it comes to this, I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty -- to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.” August 24, 1855, Lincoln's Letter to Joshua Speed

“That is the issue that will continue in this country when these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent. It is the eternal struggle between these two principles -- right and wrong -- throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings.” October 15, 1858, Lincoln's Debate at Alton, Illinois

                                                  And Then There Was

"...As we celebrate Presidents Day, think and imagine" is there another president in our history who would urge supporters on to Washington for a wild time? You saw how he embraced violent extremist elements like the Proud Boys who were told in a nationally televised presidential candidate debate to 'stand back and stand by,' which became their official slogan as they converged on Washington with other extremist and seditionist groups and competed to be the stormtroopers of the attack on this building.

"You saw the assembly of the mob on Jan. 6, and how beautiful that angry mob must have looked to Donald Trump as he peered down from the lectern with the seal of the president of the United States of America emblazoned on it. That crowd was filled with extremists in tactical gear, armed to the teeth, and ready to fight, and other brawling MAGA supporters, all of them saying 'stop the steal right now.' And he said he was going to march with them to the Capitol, even though the permit for the rally specifically forbade a march. But he said he would march with them -- giving them more comfort that what they were doing was legitimate. It was OK. But, of course, he stayed back as he presumably didn't want to be too close to the action at the Capitol as the lawyers called it, not an insurrection, they urged us yet, it's an action...

"How did Donald Trump react when he learned of the violent storming of the Capitol, and the threats to senators, members of the House, and his own vice president as well as the images he saw on TV of the pummeling and beating and harassment of our police officers? Did he spring into action to stop the violence, and save us? Did he even wonder about his own security, since an out-of-control anti-government mob could come after him, too?

"Did he quickly try to get in touch with or denounce the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, the rally organizers, the Save America rally organizers, and everyone on the extreme right to tell them that this was not what he had in mind -- it's a big mistake, call it off, call it off, call it off as Rep. Gallagher begged him to do on national television? No. He delighted in it. He reveled in it. He exulted in it. He could not understand why the people around him did not share his delight.

"And then a long period of silence ensued while the mob beat the daylights out of police officers and invaded this building as you saw on security footage, and they proceeded to hunt down Vice President Mike Pence as a traitor and denounced and cursed Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi -- both of whom you heard mob members say they wanted to kill. They were both in real danger. And our government could have been thrown into absolute turmoil without the heroism of our officers and the bravery and courage of a lot of people in this room...

"And as I've emphasized this morning, that dereliction of duty, that desertion of duty, was central to his incitement of insurrection and inextricable from it, inextricable. Bound together. It reveals his state of mind that day. What he was thinking as he provoked the mob to violence. And further violence, it shows how he perpetuated his continuing offense on Jan. 6.

"His course of conduct charged in the article of impeachment -- impeachment, as he further incited the mob during the attack, aiming it at Vice President Mike Pence himself, while failing to quell it in either of his roles as commander in chief or his real role that day, inciter in chief.

"And it powerfully demonstrates that the ex-president knew, of course, that violence was foreseeable, that it was predictable, and predicted that day, since he was not surprised and not horrified, no, he was delighted. And through his acts of omission and commission that day, he abused his office by siding with the insurrectionists at almost every point, rather than with the Congress of the United States, and rather than with the Constitution...

"And so, he must be convicted. It's that simple. When he took the stage on Jan. 6, he knew exactly how combustible the situation was. He knew there were many people in the crowd who were ready to jump into action to engage in violence at any signal that he needed them to fight like hell, to stop the steal and that's exactly what he told them to do and then he aimed them straight here, right down Pennsylvania [Avenue] to the Capitol, where he told them the steal was occurring and the counting of the Electoral College votes, and we all know what happened next.

"They attacked this building; they disrupted the peaceful transfer of power; they injured and killed people, convinced that they were acting on his instructions and with his approval and protection. And while that happened, he further incited them, while failing to defend us.

"If that's not ground for conviction, if that's not a high crime and misdemeanor against the republic in the United States of America, then nothing is. President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy and our people" -U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin, Feb. 13, 2021.