Stephen Limbaugh Sr. gives dynamic talk on Constitution [VIDEO]

There are few people who can speak as eloquently about U.S. history and, more specifically, the Constitution than former federal judge Stephen Limbaugh Sr.

Limbaugh retired from his judgeship in 2008 when his son Stephen Limbaugh Jr. was sworn in as the first judge to preside over the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau. Limbaugh Sr., now in his 90s, returned to private practice first in St. Louis and now back in his native Cape Girardeau.

This week he shared an inspiring message at the Cape Girardeau Lions Club. Former Cape Girardeau mayor, banker and Lions Club member Jay Knudtson captured the talk on video, which can be watched in full with this column online.

Without much fanfare, Thursday marked the 233rd anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.

Limbaugh started his presentation, Constitution 101, recalling the words of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who said one can evaluate a nation by the number of people who want to come in as opposed to those who want to leave.

"My gosh, Lions, hundreds of thousands, even millions of people, they bust their butts to get in here," Limbaugh said. "How many of you all know somebody who's left because they don't like it? We measure up pretty well."

Limbaugh noted to all those in the room that they had enough to "say grace over" -- though most seek more. While there are underprivileged people in this country, people come to the United States for one reason: "It's this little 15-page document, the Constitution of our country. That's why they come. We ought to be celebrating that annually."

Over the course of his nearly 30-minute talk, an impressive presentation without the use of notes, Limbaugh outlined some of the basics most of us should know about the Constitution -- though it's important to be reminded.

Before the Constitution, the 13 colonies operated independently. "We were adrift," Limbaugh said. Transportation was limited, with horse and buggy the mode of transportation. There was not a common currency. The barter system was the only way to attain goods through commerce. We didn't have an Army or Navy. And there wasn't a postal service.

But things began to change on Sept. 17, 1787, with the formation of our republic.

It's the Constitution that gave us the three branches of government: The executive branch (president), a bicameral legislature that gave each state equal representation in the Senate but proportional representation in the House, and the judicial branch.

"This compromise was unparalleled in history," Limbaugh said. "Never before had any country had this kind of a government."

George Washington would become the first U.S. president. One of the reasons Washington was selected is because he had no heirs. Hence, there was not a concern about a line of succession, Limbaugh noted.

Each branch of government has enormous powers, Limbaugh said. The president is commander in chief of the military, makes appointments and has the right to make treaties. The legislature has the ability to make law and institute taxes. The judicial branch, based on innuendo and later the case of Marbury vs. Madison, can deem laws unconstitutional. Interestingly, there is nothing in the Constitution that requires a Supreme Court justice to be a lawyer, Limbaugh said.

"Now all of us have our own points of view about who's too big. As far as I'm concerned, they all are too big. But that's Patrick Henry's argument. We have to have government and we have to have somebody that can levy taxes, build our roads, keep us going, protect us. ... We have to have a form of government. Again, this is not a panacea, this Constitution, but it's been working reasonably well for 233 years. I, for one, am here to endorse it."

Limbaugh referred to Benjamen Franklin's statement when he was asked what we have in this Constitution: "We have a republic, if we can keep it."

Without a mention of politics, Limbaugh referenced the attack on the Constitution by some. But in its defense, he referenced a portion of a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in "The Building of the Ship":

"Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State! Sail on, O Union, strong and great! Humanity with all its fears, With all the hopes of future years, Is hanging breathless on thy fate!"

Limbaugh closed by saying, "Members of the Lions Club, the ship of state will sail on. It must because of this."

With the rhetoric from some, echoed by many in the national media, you'd think the United States was some kind of third-world, backwards nation of which to be ashamed. That we should revise our history and proclaim the antithesis to individual liberty and freedom. We're not perfect. But the truth is America has been and remains an exceptional nation with a unique history, serving as a beacon of freedom to the world through the Providence of the Almighty. We'd do well to be reminded of this regularly. Constitution Day is a good place to start.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.