INSIDE THE SAGA: THE SACRED PLEDGE
Over
the years, the Taylor family history acquired the affectionate epithet Liberty
& Property, a catch cry for, and the deeply-held ideology of, the American
Revolution, and Declaration of Independence.
Liberty and Property comes to us from the great English philosopher John Locke
(1632-1704), considered the Father of Liberalism; he is quoted, Government
has no other end, but the preservation of property, and Every man has a
property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.
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| John Locke (1632-1704) |
In HEARTLAND On the Side of Angels, Luke presents his case to the
governor under trying circumstances... "I am defending my life, my
property and my rights." The governor replies, "A fan of John Locke,
I see." Luke had an extremely powerful argument to put before the
governor. By his own admission, he firmly believes in liberty and property and
the governor respected it.
The American Constitution was founded on Locke's principles. They are born out in the Declaration of Independence (1776):
'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That
to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed...'
The Declaration goes on to accuse the King of Great Britain of absolute tyranny and proceeds to list the grievous facts of the matter. The Congress then dissolves all political connection to Great Britain and allegiance to the British Crown, and ends with: we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. A new nation was born.
Pledges are extremely significant in The Legends saga, too. There are several. However, the pledge that concludes the Declaration of Independence is exemplified by the Alliance families as a whole. It isn't written down as such; it is to be found where it was forged, in the friendship between Luke and Mart, and remains unbroken.
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| Painting by Kenneth Wyatt |
