Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/29

Rh America, if he doth not conquer herelf by delay and timidity. The preent winter is worth an age if rightly employed, but if lot or neglected, the whole Continent will partake of the misfortune; and there is no punihment which that man doth not deerve, be he who, or what, or where he will, that may be the means of acrificing a eaon o precious and ueful.

It is repugnant to reaon, to the univeral order of things, to all examples from former ages, to uppoe that this Continent can long remain ubject to any external power. The mot anguine in Britain doth not think o. The utmot tretch of human widom cannot, at this time, compas a plan hort of eparation, which can promie the Continent even a year's ecurity. Reconciliation is now a fallacious dream. Nature hath deerted the connexion, and art cannot upply her place. For, as Milton wiely exprees, "never can true reconcilement grow, where wounds of deadly hate have pierced o deep."

Every quiet method for peace hath been ineffectual. Our prayers have been rejected with didain; and hath tended to convince us, that nothing flatters vanity or confirms obtinacy in Kings more than repeated petitioning—and nothing hath contributed more, than that very meaure, to make the Kings of Europe abolute. Witnes Denmark and Sweden. Wherefore, ince nothing but blows will do, for God's ake let us come to a final eparation, and not leave the next generation to be cutting throats, under the violated, unmeaning names of parent and child.

To ay they will never attempt it again is idle and viionary; we thought o at the repeal of the tamp-act, yet a year or two undeceived us; as well may we uppoe that nations which have been once defeated will never renew the quarrel.

As to government matters, it is not in the power of Britain to do this Continent jutice: The buines of it will oon be too weighty and intricate to be managed with any tolerable degree of convenience, by a power o ditant from us, and o very ignorant of us; for if they cannot conquer us, they cannot govern us. To be always running three or four thouand miles with a tale or a petition, waiting four or five months for an anwer, which when obtained requires five or ix more to explain it in, will in a few years be looked upon as folly and childihnes.—There was a time when it was proper, and there is a proper time for it to ceae.

Small ilands, not capable of protecting themelves, are the proper objects for government to take under their care; but there is omething very aburd, in uppoing a Continent to be perpetually governed by an iland. In no intance hath nature made the atellite larger than its primary planet, and as England and America with repect to each other reveres the common order of nature, it is evident they belong to different ytems. England to Europe: America to itelf. I am