Even in the early days of the American republic, the government was usurping the people’s freedom. From Paul Rosenberg at freemansperspective.com:
People remember Thomas Jefferson mainly for the Declaration of Independence, which he wrote in 1776. Some remember that he served as president from 1801 to 1809, but aside from that, few know much more of his life and work. In fact, he lived and worked until 1826, when he died on July 4th, fifty years to the day after the ratification of his Declaration.
What’s lost to history is that Jefferson was convinced Americans were losing their fight for freedom.
Consolidation
In his last years, after a lifetime of learning and experience, Jefferson had one thing preeminently on his mind: the principle of decentralization.
Jefferson didn’t use the words “centralization” or “decentralization,” of course. Rather, he used the common words of his time: consolidation and distribution. Obviously they meant the same things.
Here’s a direct statement on the subject, from his autobiography, written in 1821:
It is not by the consolidation, or concentration, of powers, but by their distribution, that good government is effected.
This statement put Jefferson at odds with political leaders, as he writes in a letter to Judge William Johnson in 1823:
I have been blamed for saying that a prevalence of the doctrines of consolidation would one day call for reformation or revolution.
STRAIGHT LINE LOGIC 