A Fig for the Constitution
“A fig for the Constitution” if it does not protect our most basic rights was John Randolph’s nineteenth century estimation of the value of the Constitution. In 2021 his words of warning are even more… »
Jeffersonians Against Imperialism
J. William Fulbright, The Arrogance of Power, 1966 and The Price of Empire, 1967 Robert C. Byrd, Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency, 2004 Known and celebrated as a “liberal” during the Vietnam… »
The Place of Nathaniel Macon in Southern History
Many who are well acquainted with Southern history are almost entirely unfamiliar with the historical character of Nathaniel Macon. He is often mentioned by the best of authors as a North Carolinian, as a Georgian,… »
Democracy vs. Aristocracy in Virginia in 1830
There is in some of our libraries a certain book which the writer of this article ventures to believe is not generally as familiar as it should be to the student of politics. For himself,… »
John Randolph of Roanoke and the Formation of a Southern Conservatism
One of the great issues of American political history is whether an authentic American conservatism exists. This is a crucial question for Southerners, as the South is historically viewed as the most conservative of the… »
The Fighting Gamecock: Thomas Sumter
Thomas Sumter in his encounters with the Indian nations enters the pages of recorded history. He had probably been present at the fall of Fort Duquesne and in the campaign across the Ohio River and… »
Russell Kirk’s Southern Sensibilities: A Celebration
. .the South—alone among the civilized communities of the nineteenth century—had hardihood sufficient for an appeal to arms against the iron new order which, a vague instinct whispered to Southerners, was inimical to the sort… »
Tidewater Wit and Wisdom
An honest man can never be outdone in courtesy. A sensual life is a miserable life. The contempt of death makes all the miseries of life easy to us. -Taken from Seneca’s Dialogues, a primer… »
A Character Sketch: John Randolph of Roanoke
Editor’s Note: This piece is, at times, harsh in its assessment of Randolph’s character and motives, but the anecdotes and language make it a fun read. Randolph was eccentric, perhaps the greatest orator Virginia ever… »
Agrarianism and Cultural Renewal
This essay was originally printed at The Imaginative Conservative. Among the contributions to I’ll Take My Stand, Allen Tate’s “Remarks on the Southern Religion” is usually interpreted as the most acerbic, immoderate, and unusual essay… »
