Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

"VindicatorOnlyof HerOwn" 181

Thejeffersoniansbelievedthemselvestobethepoliticalandintellec-
tualvanguardofthecommonman,theheirsandthecompletersofthe
longBritishstruggleforliberty.Forjeffersoniansparasitism,whetherof
churchorstate,wasthegreatenemyofthecommonpeople."Theirspiri-
tualfetterswereforgedbysubtilty{sic}workinguponsuperstition,'" as
johnQuincyAdamssaidoftheBritishpeople.Popesandbishopsused
theartfulwilesofpriestcrafttobeguilethepeopleintosupportingtheir
luxuriouslifestyles.Governmentofficialsandinsiderssetupa parallel
operationincivillife.Aristocratsandcourtierstoldthepeoplethatthe
mysteriesofgovernmentwere toocomplexfor themtocomprehend;
theydeliberatelymystifiedtheinherentlystraightforwardartofgovern-
mentintoa byzantinelabyrinthinwhichthehonestfarmerwouldbetoo
confusedtoperceivethelarcenyofhisgoodsandbetrayalofhisinterests
bytheeffetedroneswhodedicatedthemselvestodefraudingandconfus-
inghim.
TheuniquecircumstancesoftheAmerican Revolution-thelong,
popularseasoningintheBritishstrugglefor liberty, theagricultural
characterofthepopulation,theabsenceofnearbyenemiesrequiringper-
manentnationalmobilizationforwar--offeredAmericansa rare,per-
hapsunique,opportunitytotrytostartover:tobuilda systemofliberty
onthepurestrevolutionaryprinciples.Tocapitalizeonthatrareandpre-
ciousopportunitytobuilda freecountrywasthehighestaimofjeffer-
soniandomesticpolicy;topreservethatsanctuaryandthatRevolution
hasbeenandremainsthehighestaimofjeffersonianstatecraftininter-
nationalrelations.
Thisdefensivespiritisveryfarfromtheinternationalrevolutionary
fervor oftheWilsoniancurrentinAmericanlife. Wilsonianscouldbe
calledtheTrotskyitesoftheAmericanRevolution;theybelievethatthe
securityandsuccessoftheRevolutionathomedemandsitsuniversal
extensionthrough theworld.jeffersonians taketheStalinistpointof
view:Buildingdemocracyinonecountryisenoughchallengeforthem,
andtheyarebothskepticalabouttheprospectsforrevolutionaryvicto-
riesabroadandconcernedaboutthedangerstothedomesticRevolution
that might result from excessive entanglements inforeign quarrels.
WilsoniansarereasonablyconfidentthattheRevolutionarylegacyinthe
UnitedStatesis securefrominternaldangers. Theyalso believethat
theUnitedStates,withouttoomuchbloodorgold,canspreaddemoc-
racyaroundtheworld.ThetideofhistoryisrunningwithAmerican
democracy,Wilsoniansbelieve:TheAmericanRevolutionissweeping
theworld.