《Common Sense》第8章

an　its　primary　planet；　and　as　england　and　america；　with　respect　to　each　other；　reverses　the　mon　order　of　nature；　it　is　evident　they　belong　to　different　systems；　england　to　europe；　america　to　itself。
i　am　not　induced　by　motives　of　pride；　party；　or　resentment　to　espouse　the　doctrine　of　separation　and　independance；　i　am　clearly；　positively；　and　conscientiously　persuaded　that　it　is　the　true　interest　of　this　continent　to　be　so；　that　every　thing　short　of　that　is　mere　patchwork；　that　it　can　afford　no　lasting　felicity；　……that　it　is　leaving　the　sword　to　our　children；　and　shrinking　back　at　a　time；　when；　a　little　more；　a　little　farther；　would　have　rendered　this　continent　the　glory　of　the　earth。
as　britain　hath　not　manifested　the　least　inclination　towards　a　promise；　we　may　be　assured　that　no　terms　can　be　obtained　worthy　the　acceptance　of　the　continent；　or　any　ways　equal　to　the　expense　of　blood　and　treasure　we　have　been　already　put　to。
the　object；　contended　for；　ought　always　to　bear　some　just　proportion　to　the　expense。 the　removal　of　north；　or　the　whole　detestable　junto；　is　a　matter　unworthy　the　millions　we　have　expended。 a　temporary　stoppage　of　trade；　was　an　inconvenience；　which　would　have　sufficiently　balanced　the　repeal　of　all　the　acts　plained　of；　had　such　repeals　been　obtained；　hut　if　the　whole　continent　must　take　up　arms；　if　every　man　must　be　a　soldier；　it　is　scarcely　worth　our　while　to　fight　against　a　contemptible　ministry　only。
dearly；　dearly；　do　we　pay　for　the　repeal　of　the　acts；　if　that　is　all　we　fight　for；　for　in　a　just　estimation；　it　is　as　great　a　folly　to　pay　a　bunker…hill　price　for　law；　as　for　land。 as　i　have　always　considered　the　independancy　of　this　continent；　as　an　event；　which　sooner　or　later　must　arrive；　so　from　the　late　rapid　progress　of　the　continent　to　maturity；　the　event　could　not　be　far　off。 wherefore；　on　the　breaking　out　of　hostilities；　it　was　not　worth　while　to　have　disputed　a　matter；　which　time　would　have　finally　redressed；　unless　we　meant　to　be　in　earnest；　otherwise；　it　is　like　wasting　an　estate　on　a　suit　at　law；　to　regulate　the　trespasses　of　a　tenant；　whose　lease　is　just　expiring。 no　man　was　a　warmer　wisher　for　reconciliation　than　myself；　before　the　fatal　nineteenth　of　april　1775；　but　the　moment　the　event　of　that　day　was　made　known；　i　rejected　the　hardened；　sullen　tempered　pharaoh　of　england　for　ever；　and　disdain　the　wretch；　that　with　the　pretended　title　of　father　of　his　people　can　unfeelingly　hear　of　their　slaughter；　and　posedly　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　arbitrary　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　america　so　ignorant　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　unwise；　as　not　to　see；　that　（considering　what　has　happened）　he　will　suffer　no　law　to　be　made　here；　but　such　as　suit　his　purpose。 we　may　be　as　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　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　independant；　for　independancy　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　ridiculous；　that　a　youth　of　twenty…one　（which　hath　often　happened）　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　answer；　that　england　being　the　kings　residence；　and　america　not　so；　makes　quite　another　case。 the　kings　negative　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　defense　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　farther　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　interferes　with　it。 a　pretty　state　we　should　soon　be　in　under　such　a　secondhand　government；　considering　what　has　happened！　men　do　not　change　from　enemies　to　friends　by　the　alteration　of　a　name：　and　in　order　to　shew　that　reconciliation　now　is　a　dangerous　doctrine；　i　affirm；　that　it　would　be　policy　in　the　king　at　this　time；　to　repeal　the　acts　for　the　sake　of　reinstating　himself　in　the　government　of　the　provinces；　in　order；　that　he　may　acplish　by　craft　and　subtlety；　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　expect　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　e　of　age；　so　the