Today's holidays mark political milestones, the adoption of two constitutions. After the US Constitution was adopted the concepts quickly spread to Europe, and the first European nation to craft a similar document was Poland. Even though there have been many changes in government since, Poles are still proud of the first one. More recently, a similar document was imposed on Japan by the US occupation forces controlling that country.
An early student of political structure was born on this day, the much misunderstood and maligned Machiavelli. Some have said that "The Prince" was written to get back in the good graces of the Medicis, since it was sent as a memo and only published after Machiavelli's death. Somehow the cold analysis, and the concept of divorcing ethics from government which the author didn't believe himself, have stood out over time. Perhaps because politicians have wanted to adopt more from this short volume than from his larger works that support a republican structure.
Today in 1968 blacks in South Africa were disenfranchised, this during a a year that was designated by the United Nations as the International Year for Human Rights.
Yesterday was listed as Labor Day in Slovenia, I'm informed that this wasn't strictly accurate as that country observes Labor Day by taking both the 1st and 2nd off.
1675 - A Massachusetts law was enacted requiring church doors to be locked during the worship service. (Too many people were leaving before the long sermons were completed.)
1765 - Dr John Morgan, who learned medicine as an apprentice in Philadelphia but received formal training in London, Edinburgh, and Paris, returns to US and requests permission of the Trustees of the College of Philadelphia to teach medical courses. On this day he is appointed "Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic" which marks the origin of the first medical school in the US.
1968 - South African House of Assembly abolishes parliamentary representation for blacks.
Constitution Memorial Day, Japan - The current Japanese Constitution, imposed by US occupation administration on this day in 1947, creates a democratic republic with a parliament, makes the Emperor a "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and establishes the judicial branch as a separate entity for the first time.
Constitution Day, Poland - On this day in 1791, after four years of discussion and drafting, Poland gets the first freely adopted, written constitution in Europe. Largely modeled after the US example, it has three branches of government, secret ballots, religious freedom, curtails the power of the King and other executive branch authorities.
1469
- Niccolo di Bernardo Machiavelli, Italian author, philosopher,
political analyst - Born in Fiorenza, Italy to a middle class family,
he learned Latin and avidly read classic literature. He wrote plays, biographies,
histories, and treatises on various subjects, but is best remembered for
"The Prince." In that volume Machiavelli advises a Medici ruler how to
most readily maintain power, but hardly represents the author's ideals.
Misunderstanding of that volume (written in exile) has driven his more
important works from memory. Died 21 June 1527.
1827 - John Hanning Speke, British soldier, explorer - Born in Devon, while in British Indian Army traveled in Tibet and Himalayas. With Sir Richard Burton sought and found Lake Tanganyika in 1858, broke with Burton and found and named Lake Victoria. Correctly identified the latter as the source of the Nile, challenged by Burton and others. Back in England, on the day scheduled for a public debate with Burton on this point, he was killed by his own gun while hunting in Wiltshire on 15 September 1864.
1912 - May Eleanor Sarton, US author, poet - Born Wendelgem, Belgium, family fled to Cambridge, Massachusetts 1916. Educated there and abroad, first poetry published at age 17, she published over 50 volumes of poetry, novels, journals, essays, and children's books. Forty of her works are still in print, she held 17 honorary doctorates when she died 16 July 1995.
Politics: A strife of interest masquerading as a contest of principles.
- Ambrose Bierce
A politician is a person with whose politics you don't agree; if you
agree with him he is a statesman.
- David Lloyd-George
Politics is the diversion of trivial men who, when they succeed at it,
become important in the eyes of more trivial men.
- George Jean Nathan
Liberty wasn't guaranteed by the Constitution. It was only given a chance.
- Stephen Chapman
My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse
or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference.
- Harry S Truman
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