Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/41

 America calls herelf the ubject of Great-Britain, no power, however well dipoed he may be, can offer her mediation. Wherefore, in our preent tate we may quarrel on for ever.Secondly. It is unreaonable to uppoe, that France or Spain will give us any kind of aitance, if we mean only to make ue of that aitance for the purpoe of repairing the breach, and trengthening the connexion between Britain and America, becaue thoe powers would be ufferers by the conequences.Thirdly. While we profes ourelves the ubjects of Britain, we mut in the eye of foreign nations be conidered as rebels. The precedent is omewhat dangerous to their peace, for men to be in arms under the name of ubjects: We on the pot can olve the paradox; but to unite reitance and ubjection, requires an idea much too refined for common undertanding.Fourthly. Were a manifeto to be publihed, and dipatched to foreign Courts, etting forth the mieries we have endured, and the peaceable methods we have ineffectually ued for redres, declaring at the ame time, that not being able any longer to live happily or afely, under the cruel dipoition of the Britih Court, we had been driven to the neceity of breaking off all connexions with her; at the ame time auring all uch Courts of our peaceable dipoition towards them, and of our deire of entering into trade with them; uch a memorial would produce more good effects to this Continent, than if a hip were freighted with petitions to Britain.

Under our preent denomination of Britih ubjects, we can neither be received nor heard abroad: The cutom of Courts is againt us, and will be o, until by an independence we take rank with other nations.

Thee proceedings may at firt appear trange and difficult, but, like all other teps which we have already paed over, will in a little time become familiar and agreeable: And until an independence is declared, the Continent will feel itelf like a man who continues putting off ome unpleaant buines from day to day, yet knows it mut be done, hates to et about it, wihes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its neceity.