‎"The dangers of a concentration of all power in the general government of a confederacy so vast as ours are too obvious to be disregarded."

So said Franklin "Handsome Frank" Pierce of New Hampshire, 14th President of the United States, born on the 23rd of November, 1804. So he'd be 53 when he was elected to the presidency in 1852, one of many, many perilous times in the history of the republic. I seem to remember that he and his delicate wife, Jane, had already lost two of their three sons, when they were babies. So it was particularly tragic when their remaining child, 11-year-old Benny, was killed in an awful train accident, in January, 1853. Sad, sad, sad.

On the other hand, I'm just back from speaking to a genial group of Rotarians, here in Independence. I love it when I get to gas away to a bunch of people. I just love it.