Men of passive tempers look somewhat lightly over the offences of Britain, and still hoping for the best are apt to call out, "Come, Come, we shall be friends again for all this." But examine the passions and feelings of mankind: Bring the doctrine of reconciliation to the touchstone of nature, and then tell me, whether you can hereafter love, honour, and faithfully serve the power that hath carried fire and sword into your land?
If you cannot do all these, then are you only deceiving yourselves, and by your delay bringing ruin upon posterity. Your future connection with Britain whom you can neither love nor honour, will be forced and unnatural, and being formed only on the plan of present convenience, will in a little time, fall into a relapse more wretched than the first. But if you say, you can still pass the violations over, then I ask, Hath your house been burnt? Hath your property been destroyed before your face? Are your wife and children destitute of a bed to lie on, or bread to live on? Have you lost a parent or a child by their hands, and yourself the ruined and wretched survivor? If you have not, then are you not a judge of those who have.
But if you have, and still can shake hands with the murderers, then are you unworthy the name of husband, father, friend, or lover, and whatever may be your rank or title in life, you have the heart of a coward, and the spirit of a sycophant.
I'm sure that, if you have any imagination and have been paying even the slightest attention to the news, you will see some parallels here. Most of us have not had our homes burnt by Leviathan (of whatever stripe), nor our family members murdered, but consider the relationship being discussed herein, and think. Ask yourself whether Paine is saying anything to us today, however hypothetically. IS he saying anything to us? It's not the enemy outside the walls that we're talking about. Consider that a clue.
This post in the series is presented for purposes of enlightenment and discussion regarding the purposes behind the provisions of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, using the words of those who debated them.
Previous posts:
Part 1 here
Part 2 here
1 comment:
That's... a scary quote to take from the piece Reverend. I think I need to think on that one.
I guess the question to take away is... after the long train of abuses and usurpations - under what circumstances would it be possible to feel safely reconciled? For in Paine's words, there is no chance of reconciliation. The blood is drawn, the damage done - no condition short of Independency can bring peace, for the threat and memory of the sword is always there. He does not use the analogy, but it sounds to me as if he's saying it's not unlike the beaten wife returning to the wife beater, because "it will be different this time."
At what point then, is reconciliation impossible?
Also... I think we need to add Hobbes to our list. :)
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