Rand Paul: “I have taken this special order this evening to discuss the importance of the American Republic and why it should be…”

“I have taken this special order this evening to discuss the importance of the American Republic and why it should be preserved. Mr. Speaker, the dawn of a new century and millennium is upon us and prompts many of us to reflect on our past and prepare for the future. Our Nation, divinely blessed, has much to be thankful for. The blessings of liberty resulting from the Republic our forefathers designed have far surpassed the wildest dreams of all previous generations. The form of government secured by the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution and the Constitution is unique in history and reflects the strongly held beliefs of the American revolutionaries. At the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787, a Mrs. Powel anxiously awaited the results and as Benjamin Franklin emerged from the long task now finished asked him directly, ``Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?'' ``A republic, if you can keep it,'' responded Franklin. The term ``republic'' had a significant meaning for both of them and all early Americans.”