《Common Sense》第12章

where　nature　hath　given　the　one；　she　has　withheld　the　other；　to　america　only　hath　she　been　liberal　of　both。 the　vast　empire　of　russia　is　almost　shut　out　from　the　sea：　wherefore；　her　boundless　forests；　her　tar；　iron；　and　cordage　are　only　articles　of　merce。
in　point　of　safety；　ought　we　to　be　without　a　fleet？ we　are　not　the　little　people　now；　which　we　were　sixty　years　ago；　at　that　time　we　might　have　trusted　our　property　in　the　streets；　or　fields　rather；　and　slept　securely　without　locks　or　bolts　to　our　doors　or　windows。 the　case　now　is　altered；　and　our　methods　of　defense　ought　to　improve　with　our　increase　of　property。 a　mon　pirate；　twelve　months　ago；　might　have　e　up　the　delaware；　and　laid　the　city　of　philadelphia　under　instant　contribution；　for　what　sum　he　pleased；　and　the　same　might　have　happened　to　other　places。
nay；　any　daring　fellow；　in　a　brig　of　fourteen　or　sixteen　guns　might　have　robbed　the　whole　continent；　and　carried　off　half　a　million　of　money。
these　are　circumstances　which　demand　our　attention；　and　point　out　the　necessity　of　naval　protection。
some；　perhaps；　will　say；　that　after　we　have　made　it　up　britain；　she　will　protect　us。 can　we　be　so　unwise　as　to　mean；　that　she　shall　keep　a　navy　in　our　harbours　for　that　purpose？　mon　sense　will　tell　us；　that　the　power　which　hath　endeavoured　to　subdue　us；　is　of　all　others　the　most　improper　to　defend　us。
conquest　may　be　effected　under　the　pretence　of　friendship；　and　ourselves　after　a　long　and　brave　resistance；　be　at　last　cheated　into　slavery。 and　if　her　ships　are　not　to　be　admitted　into　our　harbours；　i　would　ask；　how　is　she　to　protect　us？ a　navy　three　or　four　thousand　miles　off　can　be　of　little　use；　and　on　sudden　emergencies；　none　at　all。
wherefore；　if　we　must　hereafter　protect　ourselves；　why　not　do　it　for　ourselves？ the　english　list　of　ships　of　war；　is　long　and　formidable；　but　not　a　tenth　part　of　them　are　at　any　one　time　fit　for　service；　numbers　of　them　not　in　being；　yet　their　names　are　pompously　continued　in　the　list； f　only　a　plank　be　left　of　the　ship：　and　not　a　fifth　part　of　such　as　are　fit　for　service；　can　be　spared　on　any　one　station　at　one　time。
the　east　and　west　indies；　mediterranean；　africa；　and　other　parts　over　which　britain　extends　her　claim；　make　large　demands　upon　her　navy。
from　a　mixture　of　prejudice　and　inattention；　we　have　contracted　a　false　notion　respecting　the　navy　of　england；　and　have　talked　as　if　we　should　have　the　whole　of　it　to　encounter　at　once；　and　for　that　reason；　supposed；　that　we　must　have　one　as　large；　which　not　being　instantly　practicable；　have　been　made　use　of　by　a　set　of　disguised　tories　to　discourage　our　beginning　thereon。 nothing　can　be　farther　from　truth　than　this；　for　if　america　had　only　a　twentieth　part　of　the　naval　force　of　britain；　she　would　be　by　far　an　overmatch　for　her；　because；　as　we　neither　have；　nor　claim　any　foreign　dominion；　our　whole　force　would　be　employed　on　our　own　coast；　where　we　should；　in　the　long　run；　have　two　to　one　the　advantage　of　those　who　had　three　or　four　thousand　miles　to　sail　over；　before　they　could　attack　us；　and　the　same　distance　to　return　in　order　to　refit　and　recruit。 and　although　britain；　by　her　fleet；　hath　a　check　over　our　trade　to　europe；　we　have　as　large　a　one　over　her　trade　to　the　west　indies；　which；　by　laying　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　continent；　is　entirely　at　its　mercy。
some　method　might　be　fallen　on　to　keep　up　a　naval　force　in　time　of　peace；　if　we　should　not　judge　it　necessary　to　support　a　constant　navy。
if　premiums　were　to　be　given　to　merchants；　to　build　and　employ　in　their　service　ships　mounted　with　twenty；　thirty；　forty　or　fifty　guns；　（the　premiums　to　be　in　proportion　to　the　loss　of　bulk　to　the　merchants）　fifty　or　sixty　of　those　ships；　with　a　few　guardships　on　constant　duty；　would　keep　up　a　sufficient　navy；　and　that　without　burdening　ourselves　with　the　evil　so　loudly　plained　of　in　england；　of　suffering　their　fleet；　in　time　of　peace　to　lie　rotting　in　the　docks。 to　unite　the　sinews　of　merce　and　defense　is　sound　policy；　for　when　our　strength　and　our　riches　play　into　each　others　hand；　we　need　fear　no　external　enemy。
in　almost　every　article　of　defense　we　abound。 hemp　flourishes　even　to　rankness；　so　that　we　need　not　want　cordage。 our　iron　is　superior　to　that　of　other　countries。 our　small　arms　equal　to　any　in　the　world。
cannon　we　can　cast　at　pleasure。 saltpetre　and　gunpowder　we　are　every　day　producing。 our　knowledge　is　hourly　improving。 resolution　is　our　inherent　character；　and　courage　hath　never　yet　forsaken　us。 wherefore；　what　is　it　that　we　want？ why　is　it　that　we　hesitate？ from　britain　we　can　expect　nothing　but　ruin。 if　she　is　once　admitted　to　the　government　of　america　again；　this　continent　will　not　be　worth　living　in。
jealousies　will　be　always　arising；　insurrections　will　be　constantly　happening；　and　who　will　go　forth　to　quell　them？ who　will　venture　his　life　to　reduce　his　own　countrymen　to　a　foreign　obedience？ the　difference　between　pennsylvania　and　connecticut；　respecting　some　unlocated　lands；　shews　the　insignificance　of　a　british　government；　and　fully　proves；　that　nothing　but　continental　authority　can　regulate　continental　matters。
another　reason　why　the　present　time　is　preferable　to　all　others；　is；　that　the　fewer　our　numbers　are；　the　more　land　there　is　yet　unoccupied；　which　instead　of　being　lavished　by　the　king　on　his　worthless　dependants；　may　be　hereafter　applied；　not　only　to　the　discharge　of　the　present　debt；　but　to　the　constant　support　of　government。 no　nation　under　heaven　hath　such　an　advantage　at　this。
the　infant　state　of　the　colonies；　as　it　is　called；　so　far　from　being　against；　is　an　argument　in　favour　of　independance。
we　are　sufficiently　numerous；　and　were　we　more　so；　we　might　be　less　united。
it　is　a　matter　worthy　of　observation；　that　the　mare　a　country　is　peopled；　the　smaller　their　armies　are。 in　military　numbers；　the　ancients　far　exceeded　the　modems：　and　the　reason　is　evident。 for　trade　being　the　consequence　of　population；　men　bee　too　much　absorbed　thereby　to　attend　to　anything　else。 merce　diminishes　the　spirit；　both　of　patriotism　and　military　defence。 and　history　sufficiently　informs　us；　that　the　bravest　achievements　w