《Common Sense》第10章

authority。
the　conferring　members　being　met；　let　their　business　be　to　frame　a　continental　charter；　or　charter　of　the　united　colonies；　（answering　to　what　is　called　the　magna　carta　of　england）　fixing　the　number　and　manner　of　choosing　members　of　congress；　members　of　assembly；　with　their　date　of　sitting；　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　matter　as　is　necessary　for　a　charter　to　contain。 immediately　after　which；　the　said　conference　to　dissolve；　and　the　bodies　which　shall　be　chosen　formable　to　the　said　charter；　to　be　the　legislators　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　or　that　wise　observer　on　governments　dragonetti。
〃the　science〃　says　he　〃of　the　politician　consists　in　fixing　the　true　point　of　happiness　and　freedom。
those　men　would　deserve　the　gratitude　of　ages；　who　should　discover　a　mode　of　government　that　contained　the　greatest　sum　of　individual　happiness；　with　the　least　national　expense。 ＇dragonetti　on　virtue　and　rewards＇ but　where；　says　some；　is　the　king　of　america？　ill　tell　you。
friend；　he　reigns　above；　and　doth　not　make　havoc　of　mankind　like　the　royal　brute　of　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　which　the　world　may　know；　that　so　far　we　approve　of　monarchy；　that　in　america　the　law　is　king。 for　as　in　absolute　governments　the　king　is　law；　so　in　free　countries　the　law　ought　to　be　king；　and　there　ought　to　be　no　other。 but　lest　any　ill　use　should　afterwards　arise；　let　the　crown　at　the　conclusion　of　the　ceremony；　be　demolished；　and　scattered　among　the　people　whose　right　it　is。
a　government　of　our　own　is　our　natural　right： and　when　a　man　seriously　reacts　on　the　precariousness　of　human　affairs；　he　will　bee　convinced；　that　it　is　infinitely　wiser　and　safer；　to　form　a　constitution　of　our　own　in　a　cool　deliberate　manner；　while　we　have　it　in　our　power；　than　to　trust　such　an　interesting　event　to　time　and　chance。
if　we　omit　it　now；　some　＇thomas　anello　otherwise　massanello　a　fisherman　of　naples；　who　after　spiriting　up　his　countrymen　in　the　public　marketplace；　against　the　oppressions　of　the　spaniards；　to　whom　the　place　was　then　subject　prompted　them　to　revolt；　and　in　the　space　of　a　day　became　king。＇ massanello　may　hereafter　arise；　who　laying　hold　of　popular　disquietudes；　may　collect　together　the　desperate　and　the　discontented；　and　by　assuming　to　themselves　the　powers　of　government；　may　sweep　away　the　liberties　of　the　continent　like　a　deluge。 should　the　government　of　america　return　again　into　the　hands　of　britain；　the　tottering　situation　of　things　will　be　a　temptation　for　some　desperate　adventurer　to　try　his　fortune；　and　in　such　a　case；　that　relief　can　britain　give？　ere　she　could　hear　the　news；　the　fatal　business　might　be　done；　and　ourselves　suffering　like　the　wretched　britons　under　the　oppression　of　the　conqueror。 ye　that　oppose　independence　now；　ye　know　not　what　ye　do；　ye　are　opening　a　door　to　eternal　tyranny；　by　keeping　vacant　the　seat　of　government。 there　are　thousands；　and　tens　of　thousands；　who　would　think　it　glorious　to　expel　from　the　continent　that　barbarous　and　hellish　power；　which　hath　stirred　up　the　indians　and　negroes　to　destroy　us；　the　cruelty　hath　a　double　guilt；　it　is　dealing　brutally　by　us；　and　treacherously　by　them。
to　talk　of　friendship　with　those　in　whom　our　reason　forbids　us　to　have　faith；　and　our　affections　wounded　through　a　thousand　pores　instruct　us　to　detest；　is　madness　and　folly。 every　day　wears　out　the　little　remains　of　kindred　between　us　and　them；　and　can　there　be　any　reason　to　hope；　that　as　the　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　restore　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　england　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　implanted　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　mon　animals。 the　social　pact　would　dissolve；　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　unpunished；　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　expelled　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。
．。
mon　SenseII…4
2。4　of　the　present　ability　of　america；　with　some　miscellaneous　reflections
i　have　never　met　with　a　man；　either　in　england　or　america；　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　judgement；　than　in　endeavouring　to　describe；　what　we　call　the　ripeness　or　fitness　of　the　continent　for　independence。
as　all　men　allow　the　measure；　and　vary　only　in　their　opinion　of　the　time；　let　us；　in　order　to　remove　mistakes；　take　a　general　surve