Week 2- Jefferson, Robespierre, Communist Manifesto

I’m finding it rather difficult to understand half of what is being said in these writings, mostly due to lack of historical knowledge, but also in the manner that the excerpts are written. So please excuse me as I stumble my way into pulling out ideas to discuss.

I guess I will start with Jefferson’s “Tree of Liberty” letter. There is one sentence that I would love for someone to make clear to me. In relation to rebellions of Massachusetts , he asks “can history produce an instance of rebellion so honourably conducted?” The particularly curious part of this it the word “honourably.” On what side of the rebellion is this referring to? The main  thing that I can take away from this letter is that Jefferson is suggesting that rebellion is a natural and necessary part of keeping the government in check, and protecting public liberty. He mentions that the government is “setting up a kite to keep the hen-yard in order.” In other words, trying to prevent further uprisings, uprisings that Jefferson deems a natural part of balancing society.

In regards to Jefferson’s letter to Madison, from my understanding of the last paragraph, he talks about the people going to take the navigation of the Mississippi from Spain and take New Orleans. He asks if it would be a good idea to join forces with these people to “correct our error.” He predicts that the citizens of the US will force the rulers to agree to this, but then says he hopes he is mistaken? So at first I thought he was saying that they should help take New Orleans, but now it seems he is against it?

One thing that caught me in Robespierre’s “Justification of the Use of Terror” is when he says that “Terror is nothing other than justice…it is therefore an emanation of virtue.” He goes on to say how the main principle of a despotic government is terror, but that terror should be used to “subdue the enemies of liberty.” But if you use terror, the main principle of a despotic government, in order to create the Republic, then are you not in turn despotic? He says that the “essence of the republic or of democracy is equality,” but how is using terror against others equality?

Pulling these articles together, they all agree that revolution is something that is necessary for change to occur.