Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/34

26 all men, and above all things the free exercie of religion, according to the dictates of concience; with uch other matters as is neceary for a charter to contain. Immediately after which the aid Conference to diolve, and the bodies which hall be choen conformable to the aid Charter, to be the Legilators and Governors of this Continent, for the time being; whoe peace and happines may God preerve. .

Should any body of men be hereafter delegated for this or ome imilar purpoe, I offer them the following extract from that wie oberver on governments,. "The cience," ays he, "of the politician conits in fixing the true point of happines and freedom. Thoe men would deerve the gratitude of ages, who hould dicover a mode of government that contained the greatet um of individual happines, with the  leat national expence."

Dragonetti on Virtue and Rewards.

But where ays ome is the King of America? I'll tell you, friend, he reigns above; and doth not make havoc of mankind, like the Royal Brute of Great-Britain. Yet that we may not appear to be defective even in earthly honors, let a day be olemnly et 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 o far as we approve of Monarchy, that in America. For as in abolute governments the King is Law, o in free countries the Law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other. But let any ill ue hould afterwards arie, let the crown at the concluion of the ceremony be demolihed, and cattered among the people, whoe right it is.

A government of our own is our natural right; and when a man eriouly reflects on the precariounes of human affairs, he will become convinced, that it is infinitely wier and afer to form a contitution of our own, in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trut uch an intereting event to time and chance. If we omit it now, ome Maanello may hereafter arie, who laying hold of popular diquietudes, may collect together the deperate and dicontented, and by auming to themelves the powers of government, may weep away the liberties of the Continent like a deluge. Should the government of America return again into the hands of Britain, the tottering ituation of things will be a temptation for ome deperate adventurer to try his fortune; and in uch a cae, what relief can Britain give? Ere he could hear the news, the fatal buines might be done; and ourelves uffering like the wretched Britons under the oppreion of the Conqueror. Ye that oppoe independence now, ye know not what ye do: Ye are opening a door to eternal tyranny, by keeping vacant the eat of government. There are thouands, and tens of thouands, who would think it glorious to expel from the Continent that barbarous and hellih power, which hath tirred up the Indians and the Negroes to detroy us. The cruelty hath a double guilt; it is dealing brutally by us, and treacherouly by them. To