《Common Sense》第15章

_　they　were　permitted　to　do　any　thing。〃　this　is　toryism　with　a　witness！ here　is　idolatry　even　without　a　mask：　and　he　who　can　calmly　hear；　and　digest　such　doctrine；　hath　forfeited　his　claim　to　rationality　an　apostate　from　the　order　of　manhood；　and　ought　to　be　considered　as　one；　who　hath　not　only　given　up　the　proper　dignity　of　man；　but　sunk　himself　beneath　the　rank　of　animals；　and　contemptibly　crawl　through　the　world　like　a　worm。
however；　it　matters　very　little　now；　what　the　king　of　england　either　says　or　does；　he　hath　wickedly　broken　through　every　moral　and　human　obligation；　trampled　nature　and　conscience　beneath　his　feet；　and　by　a　steady　and　constitutional　spirit　of　insolence　and　cruelty；　procured　for　himself　an　universal　hatred。 it　is　now　the　interest　of　america　to　provide　for　herself。
she　hath　already　a　large　and　young　family；　whom　it　is　more　her　duty　to　take　care　of；　than　to　be　granting　away　her　property；　to　support　a　power　who　is　bee　a　reproach　to　the　names　of　men　and　christians……ye；　whose　office　it　is　to　watch　over　the　morals　of　a　nation；　of　whatsoever　sect　or　denomination　ye　are　of；　as　well　as　ye；　who；　are　more　immediately　the　guardians　of　the　public　liberty；　if　ye　wish　to　preserve　your　native　country　uncontaminated　by　european　corruption；　ye　must　in　secret　wish　a　separation……but　leaving　the　moral　part　to　private　reflection；　i　shall　chiefly　confine　my　farther　remarks　to　the　following　heads。
first。 that　it　is　the　interest　of　america　to　be　separated　from　britain。
secondly。 which　is　the　easiest　and　most　practicable　plan；　reconciliation　or　independance？　with　some　occasional　remarks。
in　support　of　the　first；　i　could；　if　i　judged　it　proper；　produce　the　opinion　of　some　of　the　ablest　and　most　experienced　men　on　this　continent；　and　whose　sentiments；　on　that　head；　are　not　yet　publicly　known。 it　is　in　reality　a　self…evident　position：　for　no　nation　in　a　state　of　foreign　dependance；　limited　in　its　merce；　and　cramped　and　fettered　in　its　legislative　powers；　can　ever　arrive　at　any　material　eminence。 america　doth　not　yet　know　what　opulence　is；　and　although　the　progress　which　she　hath　made　stands　unparalleled　in　the　history　of　other　nations；　it　is　but　childhood；　pared　with　what　she　would　be　capable　of　arriving　at；　had　she；　as　she　ought　to　have；　the　legislative　powers　in　her　own　hands。
england　is；　at　this　time；　proudly　coveting　what　would　do　her　no　good；　were　she　to　acplish　it；　and　the　continent　hesitating　on　a　matter；　which　will　be　her　final　ruin　if　neglected。 it　is　the　merce　and　not　the　conquest　of　america；　by　which　england　is　to　he　benefited；　and　that　would　in　a　great　measure　continue；　were　the　countries　as　independant　of　each　other　as　france　and　spain；　because　in　many　articles；　neither　can　go　to　a　better　market。 but　it　is　the　independance　of　this　country　on　britain　or　any　other；　which　is　now　the　main　and　only　object　worthy　of　contention；　and　which；　like　all　other　truths　discovered　by　necessity；　will　appear　clearer　and　stronger　every　day。
first。 because　it　will　e　to　that　one　time　or　other。
secondly。 because；　the　longer　it　is　delayed　the　harder　it　will　be　to　acplish。
i　have　frequently　amused　myself　both　in　public　and　private　panies；　with　silently　remarking；　the　specious　errors　of　those　who　speak　without　reflecting。 and　among　the　many　which　i　have　heard；　the　following　seems　the　most　general；　viz。
that　had　this　rupture　happened　forty　or　fifty　years　hence；　instead　of　now；　the　continent　would　have　been　more　able　to　have　shaken　off　the　dependance。 to　which　i　reply；　that　our　military　ability；　at　this　time；　arises　from　the　experience　gained　in　the　last　war；　and　which　in　forty　or　fifty　years　time；　would　have　been　totally　extinct。 the　continent；　would　not；　by　that　time；　have　had　a　general；　or　even　a　military　officer　left；　and　we；　or　those　who　may　succeed　us；　would　have　been　as　ignorant　of　martial　matters　as　the　ancient　indians： and　this　single　position；　closely　attended　to；　will　unanswerably　prove；　that　the　present　time　is　preferable　to　all　others。 the　argument　turns　thus……at　the　conclusion　of　the　last　war；　we　had　experience；　but　wanted　numbers；　and　forty　or　fifty　years　hence；　we　should　have　numbers；　without　experience；　wherefore；　the　proper　point　of　time；　must　be　some　particular　point　between　the　two　extremes；　in　which　a　sufficiency　of　the　former　remains；　and　a　proper　increase　of　the　latter　is　obtained： and　that　point　of　time　is　the　present　time。
the　reader　will　pardon　this　digression；　as　it　does　not　properly　e　under　the　head　i　first　set　out　with；　and　to　which　i　again　return　by　the　following　position；　viz。
should　affairs　he　patched　up　with　britain；　and　she　to　remain　the　governing　and　sovereign　power　of　america；　（which；　as　matters　are　now　circumstanced；　is　giving　up　the　point　entirely）　we　shall　deprive　ourselves　of　the　very　means　of　sinking　the　debt　we　have；　or　may　contract。 the　value　of　the　back　lands　which　some　of　the　provinces　are　clandestinely　deprived　of；　by　the　unjust　extension　of　the　limits　of　canada；　valued　only　at　five　pounds　sterling　per　hundred　acres；　amount　to　upwards　of　twenty…five　millions；　pennsylvania　currency；　and　the　quit…rents　at　one　penny　sterling　per　acre；　to　two　millions　yearly。
it　is　by　the　sale　of　those　lands　that　the　debt　may　be　sunk；　without　burthen　to　any；　and　the　quit…rent　reserved　thereon；　will　always　lessen；　and　in　time；　will　wholly　support　the　yearly　expence　of　government。 it　matters　not　how　long　the　debt　is　in　paying；　so　that　the　lands　when　sold　be　applied　to　the　discharge　of　it；　and　for　the　execution　of　which；　the　congress　for　the　time　being；　will　be　the　continental　trustees。　。
i　proceed　now　to　the　second　head；　viz。 which　is　the　easiest　and　most　practicable　plan；　reconciliation　or　lndependance；　with　some　occasional　remarks。
he　who　takes　nature　for　his　guide　is　not　easily　beaten　out　of　his　argument；　and　on　that　ground；　i　answer　generally……that　_independance_　being　a　_single　simple　line；_　contained　within　ourselves；　and　reconciliation；　a　matter　exceedingly　perplexed　and　plicated；　and　in　which；　a　treacherous　capricious　court　is　to　interfere；　gives　the　answer　without　a　doubt。
the　present　state　of　america　is　truly　alarming　to　every　man　who　is　capable　of