Begone You Rogues

When I left the corporate world and went back to school to become a professor, I toyed with the idea of getting my Ph.D. in history rather than business. Then I found out what the salary differential was between the two disciplines and quickly beat feet back to the business school. But I retained my fondness for history.

One of the benefits of living in the San Antonio area is that T. R. Fehrenbach has a weekly column in the local rag. T. R. is an acclaimed historian and author. In addition to a number of works on Texas history, he also penned Greatness to Spare: The Heroic Sacrifices of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence, the mostly unknown story of what happened to the Declaration's signers.

When they said "We pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor" they weren't kidding. Many were pursued and captured by the British. Others either had their land seized and property destroyed by the English, or donated it all to the Continental Army. Several had family members imprisoned or killed. We certainly don't see that type of dedication among today's politicians.

Anyway, in last Sunday's paper Fehrenbach drew a parallel between Oliver Cromwell's dissolution of the English "Long Parliament" (it was elected in 1640 and kept itself in place until 1653) and the current U.S. congress.

Sit back and enjoy.

On 20 April 1653 Oliver Cromwell dissolved the English “Long Parliament” (elected in 1640) with a short, oft-quoted speech:

“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

“Is there a single virtue now remaining among you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man among you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

“Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd ... In the name of God, go!”

The future Lord Protector was backed up by a platoon of musketeers; the members went.

Later revolutionary settlements provided for fixed parliamentary terms and regular elections, a practice carried over to our Congress in the Constitution. Which leads me to the 1st Congress of the United States, arguably our best.

This body faced a massive task, to flesh out the bare bones of the Constitution with a working government. Like George Washington, it had to go where no man had gone before. On the whole it did a world-class job, most of which still stands. Better yet, 40 percent of the 1st Congress quit. It served one term and went home.

Perks were few then; Washington, D.C., was not yet built; and the idea of paying elected officials pensions would have made voters take down the rifle from over the fireplace.

The professional politician was a 19th-century invention. As the Founders designed, creating large districts that made it difficult for men lacking names or deep pockets, many members were country gentlemen. Their fortunes, friends, and interests were back in the states, the real nation.

As to whether current congresses resemble Cromwell's Long Parliament depends on the philosophy of the beholder; however, my mind is drawn to a popular contemporary broadside depicting Cromwell's rout of the House, in which he declares:

“Begone, you rogues! Ye have sat long enough.”

True enough then, truer than ever now.