(DON THOMPSON / iNFOnews.ca)

OPINION

The threat to American democracy didn’t start with the insurrectionist attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, or Donald Trump’s election five years earlier, or even the birth of the Tea Party in 2009.

The fact is, ever since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence 246 years ago, American democracy has been at risk. There have always been Americans intent on ending America.

Historically, America has been rather considerate - even nice - to those who committed treason…something defined in the U.S. Constitution and adopted as a federal offence in 1789. There have been only 40 federal treason cases over 233 years…with only a handful of convictions.

Often, those convicted were eventually pardoned. President George Washington pardoned two leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, a three-year long protest of liquor taxes that killed a handful of people in Western Pennsylvania and finally ended in 1794 with federal militia intervention.

The Constitutional definition of treason was deemed too narrow by President John Adams, who signed the Alien and Sedition Acts - a series of bills - in 1798 to thwart French interference in the Republic. Among other things, the new laws made it easier to deport foreigners and harder for immigrants to vote…requiring a 14-year rather than a five-year residence.

The political parties had different names back then…Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. The Federalists were in today’s vernacular…Conservative Right Wingers…and Democratic-Republicans were more Progressive Left Wingers.

The Sedition Act was the most controversial of the new laws…prohibiting public opposition to the government. Those who might "write, print, utter, or publish…any false, scandalous and malicious writing" against the government could be fined or imprisoned. If that seems an infringement of the First Amendment…you’re right.

Like today, the U.S. Supreme Court could decide what to review…and it was loaded with Federalist picks - five of the six judges - who were less inclined to side with foreigners or immigrants, so they passed on hearing sedition cases. Sound vaguely familiar?

Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans reclaimed stewardship of America in the elections of 1800, making it a more equitable home for all Americans…as long as you were white. American Democracy evolved…surviving a “Second War for American Independence” in the War of 1812…even though the Capitol and White House - among other government buildings - were burned by the British in 1814.

Of course, the Civil War marked the most treasonous act against the U.S. by millions of Southerners...though only one person was tried for treason during the five-year war. William Bruce Mumford was convicted of treason after removing an American flag planted by Union Marines atop a mint in New Orleans. He was hanged.

The various states occasionally secured convictions for treason, as well…with John Brown executed in 1859 for crimes against the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Joseph Smith charged with treason by both Missouri and Illinois. He was killed by a mob while awaiting trial in 1844.

American Democracy actually flourished after the Civil War…even in Southern states during Reconstruction. Slavery, of course, was over, and the plan was for Americans to coexist. But after 12 years…Southern whites determined that no one of colour would govern them.

There were scores of insurrections throughout the South, but perhaps the “Hamburg Massacre” in South Carolina typified the threat to American Democracy after Reconstruction. The problem for white folks - mostly ex-Confederates - was that there were more black voters than white voters in some states, like South Carolina in 1876…almost 40,000 more.

During Reconstruction, many towns in South Carolina had Black mayors, sheriffs and governing councils…which was the case in Hamburg. The two dominant political parties at the time were - as today - Republicans and Democrats…though the attitudes of people in those parties were opposite of today’s parties.

The Democrats were the party of racists and insurrectionists…mostly holdouts and supporters of the defeated Confederacy. Republicans favoured civil rights and equality. How times have changed.

Two white men led more than 100 ex-Confederates in a siege of the armoury in Hamburg… manned by 40 U.S. militia members…mostly black men. The two white men were stopped from riding down a road during a militia drill. The next day, the insurrection mob killed seven militia members…one white and six Black men.

Then, the white mob literally ran the sheriff, mayor and other duly-elected officials out of town and formed a new all-white government. Black people in South Carolina and throughout the South would live under “Jim Crow” laws and not see anything close to equality until the mid-1960s…four generations later.

Moving ahead to the 1930s, Charles Edward Coughlin - a Canadian-American Catholic Priest - spread anti-Semitic and pro-Fascist and Nazi propaganda on weekly radio broadcasts that reached 30 million Americans…one-fourth of the nation’s population.

When war broke out in Europe in 1939, the Roosevelt administration forced the cancellation of Father Coughlin’s radio program and stopped the mail distribution of his equally un-American newspaper. But the damage was done…hatred had a firm foothold.

Also in the 1930s and 1940s, American William Dudley Pelley - an admirer of Hitler - founded an anti-Semitic organization whose 15,000 members known as Silver Shirts - harassed, beat and killed Jews and those who supported Jews.

Pelley was tried in 1942 and convicted on 11 charges of high treason and sedition, mostly for seditious statements, obstructing military recruiting and fomenting insurrection within the military. Pelley served eight years in prison…none of his Silver Shirts were ever charged.

Truly, many of America’s greatest enemies came from within. Sen. Ernest Lundeen of Minnesota accepted speeches from a Nazi agent from 1937 to 1940, voted against legislation that favoured America and introduced bills friendly to the Nazi agenda. He was their puppet…and died mysteriously in a plane crash en route to delivering a Nazi-supplied speech in Minnesota on August 31. 1940.

Sen. Lundeen - one of 25 passengers and crew aboard a new DC-3 Pennsylvania Central Airline - was likely to be arrested. Three members of the F.B.I. - two agents and a secretary aboard the flight - died, as well. It was the worst aviation crash in U.S. history at the time…and the cause is still unexplained…and no evidence remains with the F.B.I.

Today, the threat to American Democracy looms large. Republicans - an extremist political party of election deniers, racists and white supremacists, insurrectionists, misogynists, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and Q-Anon folks - are no different than past threats to America.

All of them believe they speak for America…that their values define America…and that all others - especially Liberals and Democrats - are evil. They speak to white folks - mostly less educated - about being “replaced”…by Black people, Hispanics, Jews and immigrants. They trade in fear.

They define freedom of religion…as being Christian. They speak of rising crime…implying people of colour and immigrants are the perpetrators…when crime is actually rising fastest in Republican, mostly white, cities and states. All things considered, Republicans are more likely to side with Vladimir Putin than Joe Biden.

The Republican Party is so full of charlatans, haters, con artists, cheaters and liars that you could throw a dart at the entire list of Republican Senators and Representatives…and almost always hit a despicable human being.

But if you have doubts, simply Google any of the these Republicans serving in Congress and see for yourself…their words and actions: Rep. Lauren Boebert, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. John Kennedy, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Elise Stefanik, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Rick Scott, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Josh Hawley, Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Matt Gaetz.

History shows - and perhaps you learned here - that it doesn’t take many traitors to bring down American Democracy. Are we in more danger today than yesterday? We await the Nov. 8 election returns with, nervous anticipation.

Only a fool would dare admit anything less.

— Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines.

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