common sense-第6章

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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　Frenchman；　and　half　the　Peers　of　England　are　descendants

from　the　same　country；　therefore；　by　the　same　method　of　reasoning；

England　ought　to　be　governed　by　France。



Much　hath　been　said　of　the　united　strength　of　Britain　and　the　colonies；

that　in　conjunction　they　might　bid　defiance　to　the　world。　　But　this

is　mere　presumption；　the　fate　of　war　is　uncertain；　neither　do

the　expressions　mean　any　thing；　for　this　continent　would　never　suffer

itself　to　be　drained　of　inhabitants；　to　support　the　British　arms

in　either　Asia；　Africa；　or　Europe。



Besides　what　have　we　to　do　with　setting　the　world　at　defiance？

Our　plan　is　commerce；　and　that；　well　attended　to；　will　secure　us

the　peace　and　friendship　of　all　Europe；　because；　it　is　the

interest　of　all　Europe　to　have　America　a　FREE　PORT。　　Her　trade

will　always　be　a　protection；　and　her　barrenness　of　gold　and　silver

secure　her　from　invaders。



I　challenge　the　warmest　advocate　for　reconciliation；　to　shew；

a　single　advantage　that　this　continent　can　reap；　by　being　connected

with　Great　Britain。　　I　repeat　the　challenge；　not　a　single　advantage

is　derived。　　Our　corn　will　fetch　its　price　in　any　market　in　Europe；

and　our　imported　goods　must　be　paid　for；　buy　them　where　we　will。



But　the　injuries　and　disadvantages　we　sustain　by　that　connection；

are　without　number；　and　our　duty　to　mankind　at　large；

as　well　as　to　ourselves；　instruct　us　to　renounce　the　alliance：

Because；　any　submission　to；　or　dependence　on　Great　Britain；

tends　directly　to　involve　this　continent　in　European　wars　and　quarrels；

and　sets　us　at　variance　with　nations；　who　would　otherwise　seek　our　friendship；

and　against　whom；　we　have　neither　anger　nor　complaint。　　As　Europe　is　our　market

for　trade；　we　ought　to　form　no　partial　connection　with　any　part　of　it。

It　is　the　true　interest　of　America　to　steer　clear　of　European　contentions；

which　she　never　can　do；　while　by　her　dependence　on　Britain；

she　is　made　the　make…weight　in　the　scale　of　British　politics。



Europe　is　too　thickly　planted　with　kingdoms　to　be　long　at　peace；

and　whenever　a　war　breaks　out　between　England　and　any　foreign　power；

the　trade　of　America　goes　to　ruin；　BECAUSE　OF　HER　CONNECTION　WITH　ENGLAND。

The　next　war　may　not　turn　out　like　the　last；　and　should　it　not；

the　advocates　for　reconciliation　now；　will　be　wishing　for　separation　then；

because；　neutrality　in　that　case；　would　be　a　safer　convoy　than　a　man　of　war。

Every　thing　that　is　right　or　natural　pleads　for　separation。　　The　blood

of　the　slain；　the　weeping　voice　of　nature　cries；　'TIS　TIME　TO　PART。

Even　the　distance　at　which　the　Almighty　hath　placed　England　and　America；

is　a　strong　and　natural　proof；　that　the　authority　of　the　one；　over　the　other；

was　never　the　design　of　Heaven。　　The　time　likewise　at　which　the　continent

was　discovered；　adds　weight　to　the　argument；　and　the　manner　in　which　it

was　peopled　increases　the　force　of　it。　　The　reformation　was　preceded

by　the　discovery　of　America；　as　if　the　Almighty　graciously　meant

to　open　a　sanctuary　to　the　Persecuted　in　future　years；

when　home　should　afford　neither　friendship　nor　safety。



The　authority　of　Great　Britain　over　this　continent；

is　a　form　of　government；　which　sooner　or　later　must　have　an　end：

And　a　serious　mind　can　draw　no　true　pleasure　by　looking　forward

under　the　painful　and　positive　conviction；　that　what　he　calls

〃the　present　constitution〃　is　merely　temporary。　　As　parents；

we　can　have　no　joy；　knowing　that　THIS　GOVERNMENT　is　not　sufficiently

lasting　to　ensure　any　thing　which　we　may　bequeath　to　posterity：

And　by　a　plain　method　of　argument；　as　we　are　running　the　next　generation

into　debt；　we　ought　to　do　the　work　of　it；　otherwise　we　use　them　meanly

and　pitifully。　　In　order　to　discover　the　line　of　our　duty　rightly；

we　should　take　our　children　in　our　hand；　and　fix　our　station　a　few　years

farther　into　life；　that　eminence　will　present　a　prospect；　which　a　few

present　fears　and　prejudices　conceal　from　our　sight。



Thou