common sense-第5章

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！



in　that　distracted　kingdom　since　the　conquest；　in　which　time　there

have　been　（including　the　Revolution）　no　less　than　eight　civil　wars

and　nineteen　rebellions。　　Wherefore　instead　of　making　for　peace；　it

makes　against　it；　and　destroys　the　very　foundation　it　seems　to　stand　on。



The　contest　for　monarchy　and　succession；　between　the　houses　of　York

and　Lancaster；　laid　England　in　a　scene　of　blood　for　many　years。

Twelve　pitched　battles；　besides　skirmishes　and　sieges；　were　fought　between

Henry　and　Edward。　　Twice　was　Henry　prisoner　to　Edward；　who　in　his　turn

was　prisoner　to　Henry。　　And　so　uncertain　is　the　fate　of　war　and　the

temper　of　a　nation；　when　nothing　but　personal　matters　are　the　ground

of　a　quarrel；　that　Henry　was　taken　in　triumph　from　a　prison　to　a　palace；

and　Edward　obliged　to　fly　from　a　palace　to　a　foreign　land；　yet；

as　sudden　transitions　of　temper　are　seldom　lasting；　Henry　in　his　turn

was　driven　from　the　throne；　and　Edward　recalled　to　succeed　him。

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；　witho