common sense-第1章

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Common　Sense


　by　Thomas　Paine








INTRODUCTION







Perhaps　the　sentiments　contained　in　the　following　pages；

are　not　YET　sufficiently　fashionable　to　procure　them　general　favour；

a　long　habit　of　not　thinking　a　thing　WRONG；　gives　it　a　superficial

appearance　of　being　RIGHT；　and　raises　at　first　a　formidable　outcry

in　defense　of　custom。　　But　the　tumult　soon　subsides。

Time　makes　more　converts　than　reason。



As　a　long　and　violent　abuse　of　power；　is　generally　the　Means

of　calling　the　right　of　it　in　question　（and　in　Matters　too　which

might　never　have　been　thought　of；　had　not　the　Sufferers　been　aggravated

into　the　inquiry）　and　as　the　King　of　England　hath　undertaken

in　his　OWN　RIGHT；　to　support　the　Parliament　in　what　he　calls　THEIRS；

and　as　the　good　people　of　this　country　are　grievously　oppressed

by　the　combination；　they　have　an　undoubted　privilege　to　inquire　into

the　pretensions　of　both；　and　equally　to　reject　the　usurpation　of　either。



In　the　following　sheets；　the　author　hath　studiously　avoided　every

thing　which　is　personal　among　ourselves。　　Compliments　as　well　as

censure　to　individuals　make　no　part　thereof。　　The　wise；　and　the　worthy；

need　not　the　triumph　of　a　pamphlet；　and　those　whose　sentiments

are　injudicious；　or　unfriendly；　will　cease　of　themselves　unless

too　much　pains　are　bestowed　upon　their　conversion。



The　cause　of　America　is　in　a　great　measure　the　cause　of　all　mankind。

Many　circumstances　hath；　and　will　arise；　which　are　not　local；　but　universal；

and　through　which　the　principles　of　all　Lovers　of　Mankind　are　affected；

and　in　the　Event　of　which；　their　Affections　are　interested。

The　laying　a　Country　desolate　with　Fire　and　Sword；　declaring　War

against　the　natural　rights　of　all　Mankind；　and　extirpating

the　Defenders　thereof　from　the　Face　of　the　Earth；　is　the　Concern

of　every　Man　to　whom　Nature　hath　given　the　Power　of　feeling；

of　which　Class；　regardless　of　Party　Censure；　is　the　AUTHOR。



P。S。　　The　Publication　of　this　new　Edition　hath　been　delayed；

with　a　View　of　taking　notice　（had　it　been　necessary）

of　any　Attempt　to　refute　the　Doctrine　of　Independance：

As　no　Answer　hath　yet　appeared；　it　is　now　presumed　that　none　will；

the　Time　needful　for　getting　such　a　Performance　ready　for　the　Public

being　considerably　past。



Who　the　Author　of　this　Production　is；　is　wholly　unnecessary　to　the　Public；

as　the　Object　for　Attention　is　the　DOCTRINE　ITSELF；　not　the　MAN。　　Yet　it　may

not　be　unnecessary　to　say；　That　he　is　unconnected　with　any　Party；　and　under　no

sort　of　Influence　public　or　private；　but　the　influence　of　reason　and　principle。



Philadelphia；　February　14；　1776









OF　THE　ORIGIN　AND　DESIGN　OF　GOVERNMENT　IN　GENERAL。

WITH　CONCISE　REMARKS　ON　THE　ENGLISH　CONSTITUTION







Some　writers　have　so　confounded　society　with　government；

as　to　leave　little　or　no　distinction　between　them；

whereas　they　are　not　only　different；　but　have　different　origins。

Society　is　produced　by　our　wants；　and　government　by　our　wickedness；

the　former　promotes　our　POSITIVELY　by　uniting　our　affections；

the　latter　NEGATIVELY　by　restraining　our　vices。　　The　one

encourages　intercourse；　the　other　creates　distinctions。

The　first　a　patron；　the　last　a　punisher。



Society　in　every　state　is　a　blessing；　but　government　even　in　its　best

state　is　but　a　necessary　evil；　in　its　worst　state　an　intolerable　one；

for　when　we　suffer；　or　are　exposed　to　the　same　miseries　BY　A　GOVERNMENT；

which　we　might　expect　in　a　country　WITHOUT　GOVERNMENT；　our　calamity

is　heightened　by　reflecting　that　we　furnish　the　means　by　which　we　suffer。

Government；　like　dress；　is　the　badge　of　lost　innocence；　the　palaces　of　kings

are　built　on　the　ruins　of　the　bowers　of　paradise。　　For　were　the　impulses

of　conscience　clear；　uniform；　and　irresistibly　obeyed；　man　would　need

no　other　lawgiver；　but　that　not　being　the　case；　he　finds　it　necessary

to　surrender　up　a　part　of　his　property　to　furnish　means　for　the　protection

of　the　rest；　and　this　he　is　induced　to　do　by　the　same　prudence　which　in　every

other　case　advises　him　out　of　two　evils　to　choose　the　least。　　WHEREFORE；

security　being　the　true　design　and　end　of　government；　it　unanswerably　follows；

that　whatever　FORM　thereof　appears　most　likely　to　ensure　it　to　us；

with　the　least　expense　and　greatest　benefit；　is　preferable　to　all　others。



In　order　to　gain　a　clear　and　just　idea　of　the　design　and　end　of

government；　let　us　suppose　a　small　number　of　persons　settled　in　some

sequestered　part　of　the　earth；　unconnected　with　the　rest；　they　will

then　represent　the　first　peopling　of　any　country；　or　of　the　world。

In　this　state　of　natural　liberty；　society　will　be　their　first　thought。

A　thousand　motives　will　excite　them　thereto；　the　strength　of　one　man

is　so　unequal　to　his　wants；　and　his　mind　so　unfitted　for　perpetual

solitude；　that　he　is　soon　obliged　to　seek　assistance　and　relief　of

another；　who　in　his　turn　requires　the　same。　　Four　or　five　united　would

be　able　to　raise　a　tolerable　dwelling　in　the　midst　of　a　wilderness；

but　one　man　might　labour　out　of　the　common　period　of　life　without

accomplishing　any　thing；　when　he　had　felled　his　timber　he　could　not

remove　it；　nor　erect　it　after　it　was　removed；　hunger　in　the　mean　time

would　urge　him　from　his　work；　and　every　different　want　call　him

a　different　way。　　Disease；　nay　even　misfortune　would　be　death；

for　though　neither　might　be　mortal；　yet　either　would　disable　him

from　living；　and　reduce　him　to　a　state　in　which　he　might

rather　be　said　to　perish　than　to　die。



Thus　necessity；　like　a　gravitating　power；　would　soon　form　our　newly

arrived　emigrants　into　society；　the　reciprocal　blessings　of　which；

would　supersede；　and　render　the　obligations　of　law　and　government

unnecessary　while　they　remained　perfectly　just　to　each　other；

but　as　nothing　but　heaven　is　impregnable　to　vice；　it　will

unavoidably　happen；　that　in　proportion　as　they　surmount　the　first

difficulties　of　emigration；　which　bound　them　together　in　a　common　cause；

they　will　begin　to　relax　in　their　duty　and　attachment　to　each　other；

and　this　remissness　will　point　out　the　necessity　of　establishing

some　form　of　government　to　supply　the　defect　of　moral　virtue。



Some　convenient　tree　will　afford　them　a　State…House；　under　the　branches

of　which；　the　whole　colony　may　assemble　to　deliberate　on　public　matters。

It　is　more　than　probable　that　their　first　laws　will　have　the　title　only

of　REGULATIONS；　and　be　enforced　by　no　other　penalty　than　public　disesteem。

In　this　first　parliament　every　man；　by　natural　right；　will　have　a　seat。



But　as　the　colony　increases；　the　public　concerns　will　increase

likewise；　and　the　distance　at　which　the　members　may　be　separated；

will　render　it　too　inconvenient　for　all　of　them　to　meet　on

every　occasion　as　at　first；　when　their　number　was　small；

their　habitations　near；　and　the　public　concerns　few　and　trifling。

This　will　point　out　the　convenience　of　their　consenting　to　leave

the　legislative　part　to　be　managed　by　a　select　number　chosen

from　the　whole　body；　who　are　supposed　to　have　the　same　concerns

at　stake　which　those　who　appointed　them；　and　who　will　act　in　the

same　manner　as　the　whole　body　would　act；　were　they　present。

If　the　colony　continues　increasing；　it　will　become　necessary

to　augment　the　number　of　the　representatives；　and　that　the　interest

of　every　part　of　the　colony　may　be　attended　to；　it　will　be　found

best　to　divide　the　whole　into　convenient　parts；　each　part　sending

its　proper　number；　and　that　the　ELECTED　might　never　form　to　themselves

an　interest　separate　from　the　ELECTORS；　prudence　will　point　out

the　propriety　of　having　elections　often；　because　as　the　ELECTED

might　by　that　means　return　and　mix　again　with　the　general　body

of　the　ELECTORS　in　a　few　months；　their　fidelity　to　the　public

will　be　secured　by　the　prudent　reflection　of　not　making　a　rod

for　themselves。　　And　as　this　frequent　interchange　will　establish

a　common　interest　with　every　part　of　the　community；　they　will

mutually　and　naturally　support　each　other；　and　on　this　（not　on

the　unmeaning　name　of　king）　depends　the　STRENGTH　OF　GOVERNMENT；

AND　THE　HAPPINESS　OF　THE　GOVERNED。



Here　then　is　the　origin　and　rise　of　government；　namely；　a　mode　rendered

necessary　by　the　inability　of　moral　virtue　to　govern　the　world；

here　too　is　the　design　and　end　of　government；　viz。　　freedom　and　security。

And　however　our　eyes　may　be　dazzled　with　show；　or　our　ears　deceived　by　sound；

however　prejudice　may　warp　our　wills；　or　interest　darken　our　understanding；

the　simple　voice　of　nature　and　of　reason　will　say；　it　is　right。



I　draw　my　idea　of　the　form　of　government　from　a　principle　in　nature；

which　no　art　can　overturn；　viz。　　that　the　more　simple　any　thing　is；

the　less　liable　it　is　to　be　disordered；　and　the　easier　repaired

when　disordered；　and　with　this　maxim　in　view；　I　offer　a　few　remarks

on　the　so　much　boasted　constitution　of　England。　　That　it　was　noble

for　the　dark　and　slavish　times　in　which　it　was　erected；　is　granted。

When　the　world　was　overrun　with　tyranny　the　least　remove　therefrom

was　a　glorious　rescue。　　But　that　it　is　imperfect；　subject　to　convulsions；

and　incapable　of　producing　what　it　seems　to　promise；　is　easily　demonstrated。



Absolute　governments　（tho'　the　disgrace　of　human　nature）　have　this

advantage　with　them；　that　they　are　simple；　if　the　people　suffer；

they　know　the　head　from　which　their　suffering　springs；　know　likewise

the　remedy；　and　are　not　bewildered　by　a　variety　of　causes　and　cures。

But　the　constitution　of　England　is　so　exceedingly　complex；

that　the　nation　may　suffer　for　years　together　without　being　able　to　discover

in　which　part　the　fault　lies；　some　will　say　in　one　and　some　in　another；

and　every　political　physician　will　advise　a　different　medicine。



I　know　it　is　difficult　to　get　over　local　or　long　standing　prejudices；

yet　if　we　will　suffer　ourselves　to　examine　the　component　parts　of　the

English　constitution；　we　shall　find　them　to　be　the　base　remains　of　two

ancient　tyrannies；　compounded　with　some　new　republican　materials。





FIRST　…　The　remains　of　monarchial　tyranny　in　the　person　of　the　king。

SECONDLY　…　The　remains　of　aristocratical　tyranny　in　the　persons　of　the　peers。

THIRDLY　…　The　new　republican　materials　in　the　persons　of　the　commons；

　　　　　　　　　　on　whose　virtue　depends　the　freedom　of　England。





The　two　first；　by　being　hereditary；　are　independent　of　the　people；

wherefore　in　a　CONSTITUTIONAL　SENSE　they　contribute　nothing　towards

the　freedom　of　the　state。



To　say　that　the　constitution　of　England　is　a　UNION　of　three　powers

reciprocally　CHECKING　each　other；　is　farcical；　either　the　words　have

no　meaning；　or　they　are　flat　contradictions。



To　say　that　the　commons　is　a　check　upon　the　king；　presupposes　two　things：



FIRST　…　That　the　king　is　not　to　be　trusted　without　being　looked　after；

or　in　other　words；　that　a　thirst　for　absolute　power　is　the　natural

disease　of　monarchy。



SECONDLY　…　That　the