1 47 7 https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/a96a733ce2e047026c39d037c60e6b40.jpg 44eafdbe12c9c9b27f57714ba9667b20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document <div style="text-align: left;">30                              COMMON SENSE</div> relationship expires, the affection will increase, or that we shall agree, better, when we have ten times more and greater concerns to quarrel over than ever ? Ye that tell us of harmony and reconciliation, can ye re- store to us the time that is past ? Can ye give to prostitution its former innocence ? Neither can ye reconcile Britain and America. The last cord now is broken, the people of Eng- land are presenting addresses against us. There are injuries which nature cannot forgive she would cease to be nature if she did. As well can the lover forgive the ravisher of his mistress, as the continent forgive the murders of Britain. The Almighty hath inplanted in us these unextinguishable feelings for good and wise purposes. They are the guardians of his image in our, hearts. They distinguish us from the herd of common animals. The social compact would dis- solve, and justice be extirpated the earth, or have only a casual existence were we callous to the touches of affection. The robber and the murderer, would often escape unpunish- ed, did not the injuries which our tempers sustain, provoke us into justice. O ye that love mankind ; Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth ; Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia and Africa, have long ex- pelled her—Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O ! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind. <div style="text-align: center;"> Of the present ABILITY of AMERICA, with </div> <div style="text-align: center;">some miscellaneous REFLEXIONS, </div> I Have never met with a man, either in England or Ame- rica, who hath not confessed his opinion, that a separation between the countries, would take place one time or other; And there is no instance, in which we have shewn less judg- ment, then in endeavouring to describe, what we call the ripeness or fitness of the Continent for independance. As all men allow the measure, and vary only in their opi- nion of the time, let us, in order to remove mistakes, take a generl survey of things, and endeavour, if possible, to find out the very time. But we need not go far, the inquiry <div style="text-align: right;">ceases</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Of the Present Ability of America, with Some Miscellaneous Reflexions Description An account of the resource Page 30 censored text King George III religion https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/9b03b9ba4b67894e784e8451ad9394cf.jpg 306e59c0e4e14e2b63b2c1c5a0f12faf Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 28                             COMMON SENSE.  of each province, for and in behalf of the whole province, by as many qualified voters as shall think proper to attend from all parts of the province for that purpose ; or, if more con- venient the representatives may be chosen in two or three of the most populous parts thereof. In this conference, thus assembled, will be united, the two grand principles of busi- ness, knowledge and power. The members of Congress, Assem- blies’ or Conventions, by having had experience in national concerns, will be able and useful counselors and the whole, being empowered by the people, will have a truly legal authority. The conferring members being met, let their business be to frame a CONTINENTAL CHARTER, or Charter of the Uni- ted Colonies; (answering to what is called the Magna Char- ta of England) fixing the number and manner of choosing members of Congress, members of Assembly, with their date of fitting, and drawing the line of business and jurisdiction between them: (always remembering, that our strength is continental, not provincial: ) Securing freedom and property to all men and above all things, the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience : with such other mat- ter as is necessary for a charter to contain. Immediately after which, the said Conference to dissolve, and the bodies which shall be chosen conformable to the said charter, to be the le- gislators and governors of this continent for the time being: whose peace and happiness may God preserve. Amen. Should any body of men be hereafter delegated for this or some similar purpose, I offer them the following extracts from that wise observer on governments Dragonetti. “The sci- "ence” says he “of the politician consents in fixing the true "point of happiness and freedom. Those men should deserve "the gratitude of ages, who should discover a mode of go- "vernment that contained the greatest sum of individual "happiness, with the least national expence.                                      Dragonetti on virtue and rewards."  But where, say some, is the King of America? I’ll tell you, Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Great Britain. Yet that we may not appear to be defective even in earthly honors, let a day be solemnly set apart for proclaiming the charter; let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by with the world may know <div style="text-align: right;">that</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs Description An account of the resource Page 28 censored text King George III religion https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/92e29b2deeb2200e8f498213d7910b50.jpg d668a14b71f7fade438be491553a9ba2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document <div style="text-align: right;">COMMON SENSE                                  25</div> swer, that England being the king's residence, and Ame- rica not so, makes quite another case. The king's nega- tive here is ten times more dangerous and fatal than it can be in England, for there he will scarcely refuse his consent to a bill for putting England into as strong a state of defence as possible, and in America he would never suffer such a bill to be passed. America is only a secondary object in the system of British politics, England consults the good of this country, no fur- ther than it answers her own purpose. Wherefore her own interest leads her to suppress the growth of ours in every case which doth not promote her advantage, or in the least in- terfere with it. A pretty state we should soon be in under such a second-hand government, considering what has happened! Men do not change from enemies to friends by the altera- tion of a name : and in order to shew that reconciliation now is a dangerous doctrine, I affirm, that it would be policy at this time to repeal the acts for the sake of re-instating the government of the provinces; in order, THAT HE MAY ACCOMPLISH, BY CRAFT AND SUBTILTY, IN THE LONG RUN, WHAT HE CANNOT DO BY FORCE AND VIOLENCE IN THE SHORT ONE. Reconciliation and ruin are nearly related. Secondly, That as even the best terms which we can ex- pect to obtain, can amount to no more than a temporary expedient, or a kind of government by guardianship, which can last no longer than ’till the colonies come of age, so the general face and state of things in the interim, will be un- settled and unpromising. Emigrants of property will not choose to come to a country whose form of government hangs but by a thread, and who is every day tottering on the brink of commotion and disturbance ; and numbers of the present inhabitants would lay hold of the interval, to dis- pose of their effects, and quit the continent. But the most powerful of all arguments, is, that nothing but independance, i. e. a continental form of government, can keep the peace of the continent and preserve it inviolate from civil wars. I dread the event of a reconciliation with Britain now, as it is more than probable, that it will be followed by a revolt somewhere or other, the consequences of which may be far more fatal than all the malice of Britain.                                         E                              Thousands Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs Description An account of the resource Page 25 censored text King George III https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/1f11be54c12d7656b93b44d88ed0b38b.jpg cbc730d1654a68bebcd209bd39f34ad4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 24                   COMMON SENSE. I rejected the hardened, sullen tempered Pharoah of   England forever; and disdain the wretch, that with the pretended title of FATHER OF HIS PEOPLE can unfeelingly hear of their slaughter, and composedly sleep with their blood upon his soul. But admitting that matters were now made up, what would be the event? I answer, the ruin of the continent.--- And that for several reasons. First, The powers of governing still remaining in the hands of the king, he will have a negative over the whole legislation of this continent. And as he hath shewn himself such an inveterate enemy to liberty, and discovered such a thirst for abritrary power, is he, or is he not, a proper man to say to these colonies, “You shall make no laws but what I please?” And is there any inhabitant in American so igno- rant, as not to know, that according to what is called the present constitution, that this continent can make no laws but what the king gives leave to? and is there any man so un- wise as not to see, that (considering what has happened) he will suffer no law to be made here, but such as suits his purpose?  We may be effectually enslaved by the want of laws in America, as by submitting to laws made for us in England.  After matters are made up (as it is called) can there be any doubt, but the whole power of the crown will be exerted to keep this continent as low and as humble as possible?  Instead of going forward, we shall go backward, or be perpetually quarrelling or ridiculously petitioning.— We are already greater than the King wishes us to be, and will he not hereafter endeavour to make us less. To bring the matter to one point. Is the power who is jealous of our prosperity, a proper power to govern us? Whoever says No to this question, is an independent ; for independency means no more, than whether we shall make our own laws, or whether the King, the greatest enemy this Continent hath,  or can have, shall tell us, "there shall be no laws but such "as I like."  But the king, you will say, has a negative in England; the people there can make no laws without his consent. In point of right and good order, there is something very ridi- culous, that a youth of twenty-one (which hath often hap- pened) shall say to several millions of people, older and wiser than himself, I forbid this or that act of yours to be law. But in this place I decline this sort of reply, though I will never cease to expose the absurdity of it, and only an- <div style="text-align: right;">swer,</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs Description An account of the resource Page 24 additions censored text King George III slavery https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/026d00785b1d99946d6065a751e164e7.jpg 820037ac7f02ef6a2589f13c490b3ec5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document <div style="text-align: right;">COMMON SENSE.                            17</div> any other account and who will always be our enemies on the same account. Let Britain wave her pretensions to the conti- nent, or the continent, throw off the dependance, 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 connexions. 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 cer- tainly a very round-about way of proving relationship, but it is the nearest aud 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. Eu- rope, and not England, is the parent country of America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lo- vers 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 defendants still. In this extensive quarter of the globe, we forget the narrow limits of three hundred and sixty miles (the extent of Eng- land) 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 ac- quaintance 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 <div style="text-align: right;">D                                           name</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs Description An account of the resource Page 17 censored text King George III religion https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/0ec7888e1785e1f623db77e01a01d55a.jpg f1be93ac1dc712ba18513fc1b10d1514 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document <div style="text-align: center;">COMMON SENSE               15</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Thoughts on the present state of American</div> <div style="text-align: center;">affairs.</div> 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 em- barked 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 the con- test; the appeal was the choice of the king, and the conti- nent 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 mea- sures 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 habit- able 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 proceed- ings now. Now is the seed-time of continental union, faith and honor. The least fracture now will be like a name en- graved 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 era for politicks 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 almanacks of the last year ; which though proper then are <div style="text-align: right;">super-</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs Description An account of the resource Page 15 gender King George III readers women https://explorecommonsense.com/files/original/66adb924b484257beab5a8f368953dde.jpg 1a5e3642f3bb71c6e72bbb2b6123e2b8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource British Edition of Common Sense Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thomas Paine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright Loyola University Chicago Archives and Special Collections Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available London: J. Almon Subject The topic of the resource Rare Book Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Book Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Original: 1776 Digital: 2017-03-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document INTRODUCTION. PERHAPS the sentiments contained in the follow- ing pages are not yet sufficiently fashionable to pro- cure them general favor;  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 defence 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 mat- ters too which might never have been thought of, had not the sufferers been aggravated into the enquiry) 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 en- quire into the pretensions of both, and equally to reject the usurpation of either. In the following sheets the author hath studiously avoid- ed every thing which is personal among ourselves. Com- pliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. The wise, and the worthy, need not the tri- umph of a pamphlet; and those whose sentiments are in- judicious, 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 <div style="text-align: right;">against</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Common Sense, British Edition Subject The topic of the resource Introduction Description An account of the resource Page iii censored text King George III