Every now and then, an author must preface an article with a caveat or even an apology. This is one such instance.

After all, to treat the matter adequately, or at least to avoid misleading the reader, an author should devote chapters or volumes, not paragraphs, to the immense and multi-faceted subject of Thomas Jefferson, law, the Constitution, and natural rights such as religious liberty. Throw in nationhood and civil disobedience, and suddenly your subject consumes entire bookshelves.

Nonetheless, the great Founding Fathers left us the sort of wisdom that we ignore at our peril. Thus, if we hope to benefit from