"The Spirit of '76" -- Archibald Williard

Whenever I look at "The Spirit of '76" painting by Archibald Williard, I wonder what is going through that boy's on the left head as he looks up at that crazy looking old man. The old man, himself does not realize it, he's looking straight ahead trying to filter out the horror of what he's seen go on around him that's driven him to the point of madness. He only maintains his sanity because he is focusing on the beat of the drum. The martial rhythm keeps him going. Then I realize the young man is not looking at the old man, he's looking to him, looking to him for leadership. This is the moment before the old man realizes he must regain his composure, become mindful, and lead the band forward with purpose. I say the men in this guard represent each living generation of Americans who must come together and march to the beat of the same two drums and fife because, in the end, we are our own salvation for it is written, "Any Nation that is divided againsty itself cannot stand but hath an end." After all that so many have worked and bled for, do we want to be responsible for that?

(The painting also makes me think of that Primus Big Brown Beaver video where the band is marching along dressed in rubber cowboy suits.)

These men know who they are and where they are going. They are going forward toward the future of America!

"I know not what treason is, if sapping and betraying the liberties of a people be not treason." --Cato, the younger.

When I first heard about The Army of the Republic, my mind immediately thought of "The Grand Army of the Republic" - that by which the North's Civil War Army came to be known. I was later informed that had been its original moniker but was changed as many thought it was a bit pretentious and that it should not be confused with the ACW Army, as modern divisions are not so much north vs. south but a product of pure political faction that goes beyond region. When I first met CATO at a nondescript gym somewhere in Ohio, the Heart of the Republic, I thought to myself, "Well at least this Cat goes to the gym", which is more than can be said for some "militia-types" I've seen on the news, but as I spoke to him, I realized that he was genuine, educated, smart, and not a separatist or 'white-nationalist' that so many civil warlords are portrayed as, and that deep down he truly did believe in Liberty and Justice for All and was loyal to the Constitution of the Republic.

Interview with CATO of The Army of the Republic Part 1:

THE VP: Thank you, Sir, for your time. I find this topic highly interesting and pertinent to the current political situation in our country and therefore pertinent to mine own situation.

CATO: Thank you as well. It's important for the Restoration to begin before it's too late as it is pertinent to everyone's situation so it's important to have opportunities like this to provide information to the public about what People are doing to save our country.

THE VP: What do you mean when you use that word, 'RESTORATION'?

CATO: "Revolution" is often a term that is used. The People are saying, "We need a revolution", or people are asking, "Do you think we'll have a revolution?" This is wrong thinking; this is, in fact, sedition. Our republican Constitution allows for us to make adjustments to the structure of our State in order to correct problems or deal with dysfunction. A revolution alludes to a change of government but rather than a change, we need a 'restoration' which is to say we must restore the integrity of the State. We must eliminate those who are corrupt. We must eliminate the processes which allow for corruption to occur. We must realign our institutions and processes with the modern age. It's been two centuries since we've had a Constitutional Convention (hereto referred to as a CC) and over 30 years since the last Amendment. We need to convene a CC and address all the aspects of the modern age that affect the structure and functioning of our State i.e. the giving of the Franchise, the nature of our divisive, factional, and powerful political parties that have arisen, the concept of the corporation as a citizen, the legality of the Fed, etc.

THE VP: I find it interesting that none of these issues you've mentioned find themselves currently mentioned in the mainstream corporate media. These don't seem to be items of contention among us. You would think abortion, LGTBQ Rights and such would be important conversations.

CATO: They are the issues that concerned Americans discuss among themselves outside of the 24-hour news narration and the things you mentioned, in the grand scheme of things, are used as red herrings. They are big stinky fish laid across the public podium that distracts debate from the more important issues that are driving real problems and creating divisions. Is the problem abortion or the fact that the two major political parties have so factionalized Americans against each other that it prevents unemotional and logical debate that helps us reach commonality and compromise about the issue? A society will always come upon contentious issues, but the important thing is that the public dialogue be enabled and be such that compromising solutions can be reached so that justice may be served.

THE VP: Justice. People keep saying this word and I don't know if it means what they think it means. (At this point CATO's eyes narrowed and his mouth developed somewhat of a smirk and I wondered if he had caught my reference to A PRINCESS BRIDE. Heh Heh Heh. He slowly took a drink of water before he replied.)

CATO: Justice is a function of the State. As the State is an arbitrator between its citizens, it is the purpose of the State. It is the product that the State, as an institution, delivers to its people. Have you not read your Plato, Ser Pornographer?

THE VP: I have indeed.

CATO: Good then you know that a potter produces pots and if he does not then he is no potter. A Doctor heals the sick and injured and if he does not, then he is no doctor. And you must know that, there is no one in any Rule or State who, is so far as he is a ruler, considers or enjoins what is for his own interest, but always what is the interest of their subjects, and when a citizen enjoins the State vis-a-vis the Courts, what are they seeking other than Justice? A State delivers Justice to its citizens whether that be in the form of protecting the weak from the predatory element of society or providing method of arbitration and judgement. And we must remember that justice does not harm which is why I personally despise the prison industrial complex.

THE VP: I would ask you to expand on that but it would take us off topic.

CATO: I agree. One can easily descend into an endless rabbit warren of topics.

THE VP: Indeed. So tell me then, what is The Army of the Republic?

CATO: The Army of the Republic, at the moment, is a group of select Veterans and Civilians who have joined together to begin this process of restoration, that is to restore the integrity of the Constitution and end the corruption and disintegration of the Republic.

THE VP: That sounds like a tall order.

CATO: It was a tall order to create this country. It could be that it is more than one to preserve it but as a Son of the American Revolution, as a grandson of nearly half a dozen men who fought in the ACW to preserve the Union, how could I not participate in the modern efforts required to maintain our great country and it is a great country. The Union of these fifty small nations has provided us with so much prosperity and personal freedom, it would be a sin of omission to sit back and do nothing while it collapsed into a bunch of disparate units. I would be shamed and I shall not be shamed. I would rather be a dead man than live in a nation bereft of character and short of vision.

The Signing of the United States Constitution