How on earth are we still here? How have we survived, developed, and prospered? A revolutionary idea guided our remarkable framers: there would never be a perfect union. There wouldn’t be an all-powerful monarch or sovereign in charge of us. Individually and as a country, we would always be in the process of developing. Every generation would advance the work of the one before it. This was necessary for a republic to last.
The framers lived through hardship; they led a revolution on the brink of a dangerous frontier. They were aware that a life has seasons, including seasons of service. They were also aware that depending just on one person, a king, would make things appear strong on the surface but would be weak underneath.
George Washington faced similar circumstances as his second term was coming to an end. It was advised against taking the chance of leaving too soon out of fear of instability and the unknown, of who would come next. John Adams lacked tact. Radical was Thomas Jefferson. Although it was not required by the Constitution at the time, Washington nevertheless took a step back.
