common sense-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



that　〃they　are　reckoning　without　their　Host。〃



Put　us；　says　some；　on　the　footing　we　were　on　in　sixty…three：

To　which　I　answer；　the　request　is　not　now　in　the　power　of　Britain

to　comply　with；　neither　will　she　propose　it；　but　if　it　were；

and　even　should　be　granted；　I　ask；　as　a　reasonable　question；

By　what　means　is　such　a　corrupt　and　faithless　court　to　be　kept

to　its　engagements？　　Another　parliament；　nay；　even　the　present；

may　hereafter　repeal　the　obligation；　on　the　pretense；

of　its　being　violently　obtained；　or　unwisely　granted；

and　in　that　case；　Where　is　our　redress？No　going　to　law

with　nations；　cannon　are　the　barristers　of　Crowns；

and　the　sword；　not　of　justice；　but　of　war；　decides　the　suit。

To　be　on　the　footing　of　sixty…three；　it　is　not　sufficient；

that　the　laws　only　be　put　on　the　same　state；　but；　that　our　circumstances；

likewise；　be　put　on　the　same　state；　Our　burnt　and　destroyed　towns　repaired

or　built　up；　our　private　losses　made　good；　our　public　debts

（contracted　for　defence）　discharged；　otherwise；　we　shall　be　millions

worse　than　we　were　at　that　enviable　period。　　Such　a　request；

had　it　been　complied　with　a　year　ago；　would　have　won　the　heart

and　soul　of　the　Continent　…　but　now　it　is　too　late；　〃The　Rubicon　is　passed。〃



Besides；　the　taking　up　arms；　merely　to　enforce　the　repeal

of　a　pecuniary　law；　seems　as　unwarrantable　by　the　divine　law；

and　as　repugnant　to　human　feelings；　as　the　taking　up　arms

to　enforce　obedience　thereto。　　The　object；　on　either　side；　doth　not

justify　the　means；　for　the　lives　of　men　are　too　valuable

to　be　cast　away　on　such　trifles。　　It　is　the　violence　which　is　done

and　threatened　to　our　persons；　the　destruction　of　our　property

by　an　armed　force；　the　invasion　of　our　country　by　fire　and　sword；

which　conscientiously　qualifies　the　use　of　arms：　And　the　instant；　in　which

such　a　mode　of　defence　became　necessary；　all　subjection　to　Britain　ought

to　have　ceased；　and　the　independancy　of　America；　should　have　been　considered；

as　dating　its　aera　from；　and　published　by；　THE　FIRST　MUSKET　THAT　WAS　FIRED

AGAINST　HER。　　This　line　is　a　line　of　consistency；　neither　drawn　by　caprice；

nor　extended　by　ambition；　but　produced　by　a　chain　of　events；

of　which　the　colonies　were　not　the　authors。



I　shall　conclude　these　remarks　with　the　following　timely

and　well　intended　hints。　　We　ought　to　reflect；　that　there　are

three　different　ways　by　which　an　independancy　may　hereafter

be　effected；　and　that　ONE　of　those　THREE；　will　one　day　or　other；

be　the　fate　of　America；　viz。　　By　the　legal　voice　of　the　people

in　Congress；　by　a　military　power；　or　by　a　mobIt　may　not　always

happen　that　OUR　soldiers　are　citizens；　and　the　multitude

a　body　of　reasonable　men；　virtue；　as　I　have　already　remarked；

is　not　hereditary；　neither　is　it　perpetual。　　Should　an　independancy

be　brought　about　by　the　first　of　those　means；　we　have　every

opportunity　and　every　encouragement　before　us；　to　form　the

noblest　purest　constitution　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　　We　have

it　in　our　power　to　begin　the　world　over　again。　　A　situation；

similar　to　the　present；　hath　not　happened　since　the　days

of　Noah　until　now。　　The　birthday　of　a　new　world　is　at　hand；

and　a　race　of　men；　perhaps　as　numerous　as　all　Europe　contains；

are　to　receive　their　portion　of　freedom　from　the　event　of　a　few　months。

The　Reflexion　is　awfuland　in　this　point　of　view；　How　trifling；

how　ridiculous；　do　the　little；　paltry　cavillings；　of　a　few　weak

or　interested　men　appear；　when　weighed　against　the　business　of　a　world。



Should　we　neglect　the　present　favourable　and　inviting　period；

and　an　Independance　be　hereafter　effected　by　any　other　means；

we　must　charge　the　consequence　to　ourselves；　or　to　those　rather；

whose　narrow　and　prejudiced　souls；　are　habitually　opposing　the　measure；

without　either　inquiring　or　reflecting。　　There　are　reasons　to　be　given

in　support　of　Independance；　which　men　should　rather　privately　think　of；

than　be　publicly　told　of。　　We　ought　not　now　to　be　debating　whether

we　shall　be　independant　or　not；　but；　anxious　to　accomplish　it　on　a　firm；

secure；　and　honorable　basis；　and　uneasy　rather　that　it　is　not　yet　began　upon。

Every　day　convinces　us　of　its　necessity。　　Even　the　Tories　（if　such　beings

yet　remain　among　us）　should；　of　all　men；　be　the　most　solicitous　to　promote　it；

for；　as　the　appointment　of　committees　at　first；　protected　them　from

popular　rage；　so；　a　wise　and　well　established　form　of　government；

will　be　the　only　certain　means　of　continuing　it　securely　to　them。

WHEREFORE；　if　they　have　not　virtue　enough　to　be　WHIGS；

they　ought　to　have　prudence　enough　to　wish　for　Independance。



In　short；　Independance　is　the　only　BOND　that　can　tye　and　keep

us　together。　　We　shall　then　see　our　object；　and　our　ears　will

be　legally　shut　against　the　schemes　of　an　intriguing；　as　well；

as　a　cruel　enemy。　　We　shall　then　too；　be　on　a　proper　footing；

to　treat　with　Britain；　for　there　is　reason　to　conclude；

that　the　pride　of　that　court；　will　be　less　hurt　by　treating

with　the　American　states　for　terms　of　peace；　than　with　those；

whom　she　denominates；　〃rebellious　subjects；〃　for　terms　of　accommodation。

It　is　our　delaying　it　that　encourages　her　to　hope　for　conquest；　and　our

backwardness　tends　only　to　prolong　the　war。　　As　we　have；　without　any　good

effect　therefrom；　withheld　our　trade　to　obtain　a　redress　of　our　grievances；

let　us　now　try　the　alternative；　by　independantly　redressing　them　ourselves；

and　then　offering　to　open　the　trade。　　The　mercantile　and　reasonable　part

in　England；　will　be　still　with　us；　because；　peace　with　trade；　is　preferable

to　war　without　it。　　And　if　this　offer　be　not　accepted；　other　courts

may　be　applied　to。



On　these　grounds　I　rest　the　matter。　　And　as　no　offer　hath

yet　been　made　to　refute　the　doctrine　contained　in　the　former

editions　of　this　pamphlet；　it　is　a　negative　proof；　that　either

the　doctrine　cannot　be　refuted；　or；　that　the　party　in　favour

of　it　are　too　numerous　to　be　opposed。　　WHEREFORE；　instead

of　gazing　at　each　other　with　suspicious　or　doubtful　curiosity；

let　each　of　us；　hold　out　to　his　neighbour　the　hearty　hand　of

friendship；　and　unite　in　drawing　a　line；　which；　like　an　act　of

oblivion　shall　bury　in　forgetfulness　every　former　dissension。

Let　the　names　of　Whig　and　Tory　be　extinct；　and　let　none　other

be　heard　among　us；　than　those　of　A　GOOD　CITIZEN；

AN　OPEN　AND　RESOLUTE　FRIEND；　AND　A　VIRTUOUS　SUPPORTER

OF　THE　RIGHTS　OF　MANKIND　AND　OF　THE　_FREE　AND　INDEPENDANT　STATES　OF　AMERICA_。



To　the　Representatives　of　the　Religious　Society　of　the　People　called　Quakers；

or　to　so　many　of　them　as　were　concerned　in　publishing　the　late　piece；

entitled　〃THE　ANCIENT　TESTIMONY　and　PRlNCIPLES　of　the　People　called　QUAKERS

renewed；　with　Respect　to　the　KING　and　GOVERNMENT；　and　touching　the　COMMOTIONS

now　prevailing　in　these　and　other　parts　of　AMERICA　addressed　to　the

PEOPLE　IN　GENERAL。〃



The　Writer　of　this；　is　one　of　those　few；　who　never　dishonours　religion

either　by　ridiculing；　or　cavilling　at　any　denomination　whatsoever。

To　God；　and　not　to　man；　are　all　men　accountable　on　the　score　of　religion。

Wherefore；　this　epistle　is　not　so　properly　addressed　to　you　as　a　religious；

but　as　a　political　body；　dabbling　in　matters；　which　the　professed　Quietude

of　your　Principles　instruct　you　not　to　meddle　with。　　As　you　have；　without

a　proper　authority　for　so　doing；　put　yourselves　in　the　place　of　the　whole　body

of　the　Quakers；　so；　the　writer　of　this；　in　order　to　be　on　an　equal　rank

with　yourselves；　is　under　the　necessity；　of　putting　himself　in　the　place

of　all　those；　who；　approve　the　very　writings　and　principles；　against　which；

your　testimony　is　directed：　　And　he　hath　chosen　this　singular　situation；

in　order；　that　you　might　discover　in　him　that　presumption　of　character

which　you　cannot　see　in　yourselves。　　For　neither　he　nor　you　can　have　any

claim　or　title　to　POLITICAL　REPRESENTATION。



When　men　have　departed　from　the　right　way；　it　is　no　wonder　that　they

stumble　and　fall。　　And　it　is　evident　from　the　manner　in　which　ye　have

managed　your　testimony；　that　politics；　（as　a　religious　body　of　men）

is　not　your　proper　Walk；　for　however　well　adapted　it　might　appear　to　you；

it　is；　nevertheless；　a　jumble　of　good　and　bad　put　unwisely　together；

and　the　conclusion　drawn　therefrom；　both　unnatural　and　unjust。



The　two　first　pages；　（and　the　whole　doth　not　make　four）　we　give　you

credit　for；　and　expect　the　same　civility　from　you；　because　the　love

and　desire　of　peace　is　not　confined　to　Quakerism；　it　is　the　natural；

as　well　the　religious　wish　of　all　denominations　of　men。　　And　on　this　ground；

as　men　labouring　to　establish　an　Independant　Constitution　of　our　own；　do　we

exceed　all　others　in　our　hope；　end；　and　aim。　　OUR　PLAN　IS　PEACE　FOR　EVER。

We　are　tired　of　contention　with　Britain；　and　can　see　no　real　end　to　it

but　in　a　final　separation。　　We　act　consistently；　because　for　the　sake

of　introducing　an　endless　and　uninterrupted　peace；　do　we　bear　the　evils

and　burthens　of　the　present　day。　　We　a