Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/45

Rh capable of arriving at, had he, as he ought to have, the legilative powers in her own hands. England is, at this time, proudly coveting what would do her no good, were he to accomplih it; and the Continent heitating on a matter, which will be her final ruin if neglected. It is the commerce, and not the conquet of America, by which England is to be benefited, and that would in a great meaure continue, were the countries as independent of each other as France and Spain; becaue, in many articles, neither can go to a better market. But it is the independence 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 dicovered by neceity, will appear clearer and tronger every day.

Firt. Becaue it will come to that one time or other.

Secondly. Becaue the longer it is delayed, the harder it will be to accomplih.

I have frequently amued myelf, both in public and private companies, with ilently remarking the pecious errors of thoe who peak without reflecting. And among the many which I have heard, the following eems the mot general, viz. that had this rupture happened forty or fifty years hence, intead of now, the Continent would have been more able to have haken off the dependence. To which I reply, that our military ability, at this time, aries from the experience gained in the lat 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 thoe who may ucceed us, would have been as ignorant of martial matters as the ancient Indians: And this ingle poition, cloely attended to, will unanwerably prove, that the preent time is preferable to all others: The argument turns thus:—At the concluion of the lat war, we had experience, but wanted numbers; and forty or fifty years hence, we hould have numbers, without experience; wherefore, the proper point of time mut be ome particular point between the two extremes, in which a ufficiency of the former remains, and a proper encreae of the latter is obtained: And that point of time is the preent time.

The reader will pardon this digreion, as it does not properly come under the head I firt et out with, and to which I again return by the following poition, viz.

Should affairs be patched up with Britain, and he to remain the governing and overeign power of America (which, as matters are now circumtanced, is giving up the point entirely) we hall deprive ourelves of the very means of inking the debt we have, or may contract. The value of the back lands, which ome of the provinces are clandetinely deprived of, by the unjut extention of the limits of Canada, valued only at five pounds terling per hundred acres, amount to upwards of twenty-five millions, Pennylvania currency; and the quit-rents, at one penny terling per acre, to two millions yearly. It