Youth has become an obsession of almost unattainable
reach to many people in our modern American society, and this is unfortunate.
An emphasis on the older generation and their wisdom can be quite useful for
leading and directing our country through different stages of its existence. An
example of an older man instructing and using his age as a benefit to posterity
is James Madison. In The Last of the
Fathers: James Madison & The Republican Legacy, Drew R. McCoy tries to
convey this point.
Instead of presenting the typical presentation of Madison, as he is known in his early career as an important promoter of republican ideals, McCoy states that his portrayal of Madison “focuses instead on a relatively neglected phrase of Madison’s republican odyssey, the period between his retirement from public office in March 1817 and his death on June 28, 1836” (xiii). Moreover, McCoy expresses that Madison truly did leave a legacy: “His two decades of retirement were fascinating and important years, both for him and for the republic whose history seemed inseparable from his own” (xiii). I think it important to note that in these last two lines, Madison should be viewed as someone who actually lived out his ideas and saw them expand to the next generation of Americans. Thus, he still had a place in society to make sure these republican ideals, understood correctly by the newer generation, were still being carried out.
Madison’s early career is quite remarkable. He started his political career at such a young age, and even then exhibited a significant dedication to espousing his views of republican government. In Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788 Pauline Maier states, “Although Madison was short, shy, and relatively young (he was thirty-six in 1787), his intellect and learning had won him respect among his more senior colleagues, including Washington. He helped write the plan of government that the Virginia delegation prepared while it waited for the Convention to meet, and he would later be called ‘the father of the Constitution,’ a title he had the grace to decline since it was, as he said, the work of ‘many heads & many hands’” (p. 36). Although this portrayal of Madison displays him as a young, capable politician, he still at this time commanded an air of respectability, which would carry on even to his later years. Madison, therefore, left a lasting legacy for posterity to glean important insights into the ideas of republican government.
The Bible speaks about
hard work and dedication in Ecclesiastes 9:10, when it says, “Whatever your
hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” This verse aptly fits Madison’s
life because he was devoted to the cause of promoting his views of republican
government. This dedication drove him at many times and in various ways
throughout his service to his country to pursue ideals of republican
government. McCoy in The Last of the
Fathers mentions several of these incidents in his later life. One example
that portrays Madison in his later years fighting for his principles is his role
in the nullification crisis. In the brewing years before the crisis over the tariff
issue exploded into the nullification crisis, James Madison responded. Dew McCoy notes that “as the election of 1828
drew near, Madison broke his public silence only to urge his fellow citizens to
conduct their political discussions ‘in a spirit and manner, neither
unfavorable to a dispassionate result, nor unworthy of the great and advancing
cause of Representative Government’” (p. 126). Instead of presenting the typical presentation of Madison, as he is known in his early career as an important promoter of republican ideals, McCoy states that his portrayal of Madison “focuses instead on a relatively neglected phrase of Madison’s republican odyssey, the period between his retirement from public office in March 1817 and his death on June 28, 1836” (xiii). Moreover, McCoy expresses that Madison truly did leave a legacy: “His two decades of retirement were fascinating and important years, both for him and for the republic whose history seemed inseparable from his own” (xiii). I think it important to note that in these last two lines, Madison should be viewed as someone who actually lived out his ideas and saw them expand to the next generation of Americans. Thus, he still had a place in society to make sure these republican ideals, understood correctly by the newer generation, were still being carried out.
Madison’s early career is quite remarkable. He started his political career at such a young age, and even then exhibited a significant dedication to espousing his views of republican government. In Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788 Pauline Maier states, “Although Madison was short, shy, and relatively young (he was thirty-six in 1787), his intellect and learning had won him respect among his more senior colleagues, including Washington. He helped write the plan of government that the Virginia delegation prepared while it waited for the Convention to meet, and he would later be called ‘the father of the Constitution,’ a title he had the grace to decline since it was, as he said, the work of ‘many heads & many hands’” (p. 36). Although this portrayal of Madison displays him as a young, capable politician, he still at this time commanded an air of respectability, which would carry on even to his later years. Madison, therefore, left a lasting legacy for posterity to glean important insights into the ideas of republican government.
An individual who presently has shown a dedication to his craft is Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimming champion. Watching the Olympics last summer with my family, we were amazed at the dedication this young man has to his craft. He woke up early in the morning, practiced swimming until he swam each stroke just right, ate well, exercised, and he did all of those things because he loves his sport and is committed to playing it correctly. This reminds me of James Madison as well. He was committed to his form of republican government and wanted to make sure that future generations correctly understood the principles he espoused throughout his life. We, therefore, have a choice: will we promote these ideals of freedom handed down to us from our Founding Fathers like James Madison, or will we forget them and walk in ignorance? The choice is ours. I hope we will choose to dedicate our lives to the causes of freedom as James Madison did and pass our recognized freedom down to posterity.
Works Cited:
Maier, Pauline. Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2010.
McCoy, Drew R. The Last of the Fathers: James Madison & The Republican Legacy.
New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
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