Nathaniel Macon

Nathaniel Macon (1758-1837) was an influential voice in the history of North Carolina and the U.S.A. in general. He fought in the Revolutionary War, had three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1781, 1782, and 1784. He also served on the CFR and had an unsuccessful run for the Vice Presidency in 1825.  He was Speaker of the House during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. He has been described as an anti-federalist and a Jeffersonian libertarian.

Nathaniel attended a Baptist church and was an intimate friend of figures such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Randolph.  It should be noted that Jefferson’s famous quote about truth in advertising originated from a letter to Macon. He is known for having stood up against a Alien and Sedition acts, among other things and quite consistently stood against the expansion of federal power.

In the memoir written by Weldon Nathaniel Edwards, it is said that

“Of his political creed, it is scarcely necessary to speak. His unchequered consistency–the frank and manly avowal of his opinion on all proper occasions….Adopting to the fullest extent, the doctrine which allowed to men the capacity for, and the right of self-government…and never would consent–however strongly the law of circumstances, the common plea of tyrants, might demand it–to exercise doubtful powers.”

John Randolph commented about Nathaniel: “He is the wisest, the purest, and the best man that I ever knew”.  He leaves a legacy of republicanism (with a small ‘r’) and has had a handful of towns and counties are named after him.

Here are a few exerpts from an article by Clyde N. Wilson on Macon:

“…an important Founding Father almost unknown these days.  Comparing Macon with the politicians of today gives us a benchmark as to how dreadfully far America has degenerated from the principles on which it was founded…Macon was admired because he never changed from the principles with which he began.  What were these principles?  The federal government should be tightly bound by the Constitution.  It should not tax the people and spend money any more than was absolutely necessary for the things it was entitled to do, nor go into debt, which was just a way to make the taxpayers pay interest to the rich.  Eternal vigilance was the price of liberty.  Power was always stealing from the many to the few.  Office-holders were to be watched closely and kept as directly responsible to the citizens as possible.   A few words from Macon in Congress often stopped bills that proposed supposedly attractive measures…As time went on, Macon realised more and more that preserving true republican principles was a losing cause, but in the company of John Randolph and John Taylor he never wavered…But Macon, like Washington and Jefferson, was not important and respected because he was elected to office.  He was elected to office because he was important and respected.  He never campaigned for an office.  He never attended a party caucus.  He never promised anyone patronage to support him.  Macon was elected over and over and revered because of what he was….Macon was more Jeffersonian than Jefferson himself.”

No doubt Macon, along with many other founding fathers, kept slaves and had a troubling and despicable view on the slavery question. And many of these politicians and other later highly lauded politicians, including the often revered Abraham Lincoln, had very racist ideas. But nonetheless, there is much to be learned here about principles of politics and nobility in politics by looking into the history of these men.  Macon, for all his warts, is an example of a early zealous “Dr No”, so to speak.  In a few different ways, he should be an inspiration to those who would boldly against statism.