common sense-第4章

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The　parliament　always　following　the　strongest　side。



This　contest　began　in　the　reign　of　Henry　the　Sixth；　and　was　not　entirely

extinguished　till　Henry　the　Seventh；　in　whom　the　families　were　united。

Including　a　period　of　67　years；　viz。　　from　1422　to　1489。



In　short；　monarchy　and　succession　have　laid　（not　this　or　that　kingdom　only）

but　the　world　in　blood　and　ashes。　　Tis　a　form　of　government　which　the　word

of　God　bears　testimony　against；　and　blood　will　attend　it。



If　we　inquire　into　the　business　of　a　king；　we　shall　find　that　in　some

countries　they　have　none；　and　after　sauntering　away　their　lives

without　pleasure　to　themselves　or　advantage　to　the　nation；

withdraw　from　the　scene；　and　leave　their　successors　to　tread

the　same　idle　ground。　　In　absolute　monarchies　the　whole　weight　of　business；

civil　and　military；　lies　on　the　king；　the　children　of　Israel　in　their

request　for　a　king；　urged　this　plea　〃that　he　may　judge　us；　and　go　out

before　us　and　fight　our　battles。〃　　But　in　countries　where　he　is　neither

a　judge　nor　a　general；　as　in　England；　a　man　would　be　puzzled　to　know

what　IS　his　business。



The　nearer　any　government　approaches　to　a　republic　the　less　business

there　is　for　a　king。　　It　is　somewhat　difficult　to　find　a　proper　name

for　the　government　of　England。　　Sir　William　Meredith　calls　it　a　republic；

but　in　its　present　state　it　is　unworthy　of　the　name；　because　the　corrupt

influence　of　the　crown；　by　having　all　the　places　in　its　disposal；

hath　so　effectually　swallowed　up　the　power；　and　eaten　out　the　virtue

of　the　house　of　commons　（the　republican　part　in　the　constitution）

that　the　government　of　England　is　nearly　as　monarchical　as　that　of　France

or　Spain。　　Men　fall　out　with　names　without　understanding　them。

For　it　is　the　republican　and　not　the　monarchical　part　of　the　constitution

of　England　which　Englishmen　glory　in；　viz。　　the　liberty　of　choosing　an　house

of　commons　from　out　of　their　own　body　…　and　it　is　easy　to　see　that　when

republican　virtue　fails；　slavery　ensues。　　Why　is　the　constitution

of　England　sickly；　but　because　monarchy　hath　poisoned　the　republic；

the　crown　hath　engrossed　the　commons？



In　England　a　king　hath　little　more　to　do　than　to　make　war

and　give　away　places；　which　in　plain　terms；　is　to　impoverish

the　nation　and　set　it　together　by　the　ears。　　A　pretty　business　indeed

for　a　man　to　be　allowed　eight　hundred　thousand　sterling　a　year　for；

and　worshipped　into　the　bargain！　　Of　more　worth　is　one　honest　man

to　society　and　in　the　sight　of　God；　than　all　the　crowned　ruffians

that　ever　lived。









THOUGHTS　ON　THE　PRESENT　STATE　OF　AMERICAN　AFFAIRS







In　the　following　pages　I　offer　nothing　more　than　simple　facts；

plain　arguments；　and　common　sense；　and　have　no　other　Preliminaries

to　settle　with　the　reader；　than　that　he　will　divest　himself　of　prejudice

and　prepossession；　and　suffer　his　reason　and　his　feelings　to　determine

for　themselves；　that　he　will　put　ON；　or　rather　that　he　will　not　put　OFF

the　true　character　of　a　man；　and　generously　enlarge　his　views　beyond

the　present　day。



Volumes　have　been　written　on　the　subject　of　the　struggle　between

England　and　America。　　Men　of　all　ranks　have　embarked　in　the　controversy；

from　different　motives；　and　with　various　designs；　but　all　have　been

ineffectual；　and　the　period　of　debate　is　closed。　　Arms；　as　the　last

resource；　decide　this　contest；　the　appeal　was　the　choice　of　the　king；

and　the　continent　hath　accepted　the　challenge。



It　hath　been　reported　of　the　late　Mr。　Pelham　（who　tho'　an

able　minister　was　not　without　his　faults）　that　on　his　being

attacked　in　the　house　of　commons；　on　the　score；　that　his　measures

were　only　of　a　temporary　kind；　replied　〃THEY　WILL　LAST　MY　TIME。〃

Should　a　thought　so　fatal　and　unmanly　possess　the　colonies

in　the　present　contest；　the　name　of　ancestors　will　be　remembered

by　future　generations　with　detestation。



The　sun　never　shined　on　a　cause　of　greater　worth。　　'Tis　not

the　affair　of　a　city；　a　county；　a　province；　or　a　kingdom；　but　of

a　continent　…　of　at　least　one　eighth　part　of　the　habitable　globe。

'Tis　not　the　concern　of　a　day；　a　year；　or　an　age；　posterity　are

virtually　involved　in　the　contest；　and　will　be　more　or　less

affected；　even　to　the　end　of　time；　by　the　proceedings　now。

Now　is　the　seed…time　of　continental　union；　faith　and　honour。

The　least　fracture　now　will　be　like　a　name　engraved　with　the　point

of　a　pin　on　the　tender　rind　of　a　young　oak；　the　wound　will　enlarge

with　the　tree；　and　posterity　read　it　in　full　grown　characters。



By　referring　the　matter　from　argument　to　arms；　a　new　aera

for　politics　is　struck；　a　new　method　of　thinking　hath　arisen。

All　plans；　proposals；　&c。　　prior　to　the　nineteenth　of　April；

i。　　e。　　to　the　commencement　of　hostilities；　are　like　the　almanacs

of　the　last　year；　which；　though　proper　then　are　superseded

and　useless　now。　　Whatever　was　advanced　by　the　advocates　on

either　side　of　the　question　then；　terminated　in　one　and　the

same　point。　　viz。　　a　union　with　Great…Britain：　the　only　difference

between　the　parties　was　the　method　of　effecting　it；　the　one

proposing　force；　the　other　friendship；　but　it　hath　so　far

happened　that　the　first　hath　failed；　and　the　second　hath

withdrawn　her　influence。



As　much　hath　been　said　of　the　advantages　of　reconciliation　which；

like　an　agreeable　dream；　hath　passed　away　and　left　us　as　we　were；

it　is　but　right；　that　we　should　examine　the　contrary　side

of　the　argument；　and　inquire　into　some　of　the　many　material　injuries

which　these　colonies　sustain；　and　always　will　sustain；

by　being　connected　with；　and　dependent　on　Great　Britain：

To　examine　that　connection　and　dependence；　on　the　principles

of　nature　and　common　sense；　to　see　what　we　have　to　trust　to；

if　separated；　and　what　we　are　to　expect；　if　dependant。



I　have　heard　it　asserted　by　some；　that　as　America　hath

flourished　under　her　former　connection　with　Great　Britain

that　the　same　connection　is　necessary　towards　her　future

happiness；　and　will　always　have　the　same　effect。

Nothing　can　be　more　fallacious　than　this　kind　of　argument。

We　may　as　well　assert　that　because　a　child　has　thrived　upon　milk

that　it　is　never　to　have　meat；　or　that　the　first　twenty　years

of　our　lives　is　to　become　a　precedent　for　the　next　twenty。

But　even　this　is　admitting　more　than　is　true；　for　I　answer　roundly；

that　America　would　have　flourished　as　much；　and　probably　much　more；

had　no　European　power　had　any　thing　to　do　with　her。　　The　commerce；

by　which　she　hath　enriched　herself；　are　the　necessaries　of　life；

and　will　always　have　a　market　while　eating　is　the　custom　of　Europe。



But　she　has　protected　us；　say　some。　　That　she　has　engrossed

us　is　true；　and　defended　the　continent　at　our　expense　as　well

as　her　own　is　admitted；　and　she　would　have　defended　Turkey

from　the　same　motive；　viz。　　the　sake　of　trade　and　dominion。



Alas；　we　have　been　long　led　away　by　ancient　prejudices；

and　made　large　sacrifices　to　superstition。　　We　have　boasted

the　protection　of　Great　Britain；　without　considering；

that　her　motive　was　INTEREST　not　ATTACHMENT；　that　she

did　not　protect　us　from　OUR　ENEMIES　on　OUR　ACCOUNT；

but　from　HER　ENEMIES　on　HER　OWN　ACCOUNT；　from　those

who　had　no　quarrel　with　us　on　any　OTHER　ACCOUNT；

and　who　will　always　be　our　enemies　on　the　SAME　ACCOUNT。

Let　Britain　wave　her　pretensions　to　the　continent；

or　the　continent　throw　off　the　dependence；　and　we　should

be　at　peace　with　France　and　Spain　were　they　at　war　with　Britain。

The　miseries　of　Hanover　last　war　ought　to　warn　us　against　connections。



It　has　lately　been　asserted　in　parliament；　that　the　colonies

have　no　relation　to　each　other　but　through　the　parent　country；

i。　　e。　　that　Pennsylvania　and　the　Jerseys；　and　so　on　for　the　rest；

are　sister　colonies　by　the　way　of　England；　this　is　certainly

a　very　round…about　way　of　proving　relationship；　but　it　is　the

nearest　and　only　true　way　of　proving　enemyship；　if　I　may　so　call　it。

France　and　Spain　never　were。　　nor　perhaps　ever　will　be　our　enemies

as　AMERICANS；　but　as　our　being　the　subjects　of　GREAT　BRITAIN。



But　Britain　is　the　parent　country；　say　some。　　Then　the　more　shame

upon　her　conduct。　　Even　brutes　do　not　devour　their　young；

nor　savages　make　war　upon　their　families；　wherefore　the　assertion；

if　true；　turns　to　her　reproach；　but　it　happens　not　to　be　true；

or　only　partly　so　and　the　phrase　PARENT　or　MOTHER　COUNTRY

hath　been　jesuitically　adopted　by　the　king　and　his　parasites；

with　a　low　papistical　design　of　gaining　an　unfair　bias

on　the　credulous　weakness　of　our　minds。　　Europe；　and　not　England；

is　the　parent　country　of　America。　　This　new　world　hath　been　the　asylum

for　the　persecuted　lovers　of　civil　and　religious　liberty　from　EVERY　PART

of　Europe。　　Hither　have　they　fled；　not　from　the　tender　embraces　of　the　mother；　but

from　the　cruelty　of　the　monster；　and　it　is　so　far　true　of　England；

that　the　same　tyranny　which　drove　the　first　emigrants　from　home；

pursues　their　descendants　still。



In　this　extensive　quarter　of　the　globe；　we　forget　the　narrow　limits

of　three　hundred　and　sixty　miles　（the　extent　of　England）

and　carry　our　friendship　on　a　larger　scale；　we　claim　brotherhood

with　every　European　Christian；　and　triumph　in　the　generosity　of　the　sentiment。



It　is　pleasant　to　observe　by　what　regular　gradations

we　surmount　the　force　of　local　prejudice；　as　we　enlarge

our　acquaintance　with　the　world。　　A　man　born　in　any　town

in　England　divided　into　parishes；　will　naturally　associate　most

with　his　fellow…parishioners　（because　their　interests　in　many

cases　will　be　common）　and　distinguish　him　by　the　name　of　NEIGHBOUR；

if　he　meet　him　but　a　few　miles　from　home；　he　drops　the　narrow　idea

of　a　street；　and　salutes　him　by　the　name　of　TOWNSMAN；　if　he　travel　out

of　the　county；　and　meet　him　in　any　other；　he　forgets　the　minor　divisions

of　street　and　town；　and　calls　him　COUNTRYMAN；　i。　　e。　　COUNTRYMAN；

but　if　in　their　foreign　excursions　they　should　associate　in　France

or　any　other　part　of　EUROPE；　their　local　remembrance　would　be　enlarged

into　that　of　ENGLISHMEN。　　And　by　a　just　parity　of　reasoning；

all　Europeans　meeting　in　America；　or　any　other　quarter　of　the　globe；

are　COUNTRYMEN；　for　England；　Holland；　Germany；　or　Sweden；　when　compared

with　the　whole；　stand　in　the　same　places　on　the　larger　scale；

which　the　divisions　of　street；　town；　and　county　do　on　the　smaller　ones；

distinctions　too　limited　for　continental　minds。　　Not　one　third　of

the　inhabitants；　even　of　this　province；　are　of　English　descent。

Wherefore　I　reprobate　the　phrase　of　parent　or　mother　country　applied

to　England　only；　as　being　false；　selfish；　narrow　and　ungenerous。



But　admitting；　that　we　were　all　of　English　descent；　what　does

it　amount　to？　　Nothing。　　Britain；　being　now　an　open　enemy；

extinguishes　every　other　name　and　title：　　And　to　say　that

reconciliation　is　our　duty；　is　truly　farcical。　　The　first

king　of　England；　of　the　present　line　（William　the　Conqueror）

was　a　Fre