Common sense: addressed to the inhabitants of America, on the following interesting subjects. I. Of the origin and design of government in general, with concise remarks on the English constitution. II. Of monarchy and hereditary succession. III. Thoughts on the present state of American affairs. IV. Of the present ability of America, with some miscellaneous reflections. A new edition, with several additions in the body of the work. To which is added an appendix; together with an address to the people called Quakers. N.B. The new addition here given increases the work upwards of one third.

Page 30

Artur . l ~59 APPENDIX. l APPENDIX. ,9 inert on this continent and whore (moments, on that head, are not publicly known. Ferable to all other. it is In reality a leif evident politi- numbers; and forty or fifty years hence, we fliould have numbers, without experience; wherefore, the proper point live powers, Can ever arrive at any material eminence Ar- - of time, mufi be [0mi- particular point between the two ex- merica doth not vet have what opulence is; and although i the prngrefe which [he hath made, hands unparalleled in me hiflory of other nations, it is but chi'dhood, compared with what [he would be cat‘mb‘f,‘ of arriving at, had (he, as {he ought to have, the legiflattve power-‘5 in her own hands. England is, at this time, proudly cow-ting what would do her no good, here {he to accompliih it; an.1 the Continent: The'argument turns thus-at the conclufion of the lafl: war, we had experience, but wanted on: Far no nation in a Pratt: of foreign dependance‘ limited in its. commerce. and canned and fettered in Its legtfla. tremes, in which a {ufliciency of the former remains, and a proper increafe of the latter is obtained : And that point of time is the prefem time. The reader will pardon this digremon, as it does not properly come under the head i firfl fer out with, and to which I again return by the following pofition, viz. Shnuitl affairs be pached up with Britain, and {he to rehefitating on a matter, wh ch will be her final ruin if ne- glefied. It is the ecrnrnetce and not the critiqurft of Amen- nnin the give hing andfovcreign power of America, (which as matters are now circumflanced, it; giving up the point in- rica, by which England is to be benrfi ad, anJ that would. tirely) we {lull depive ourfelves of the very means of link- in a great! meafure continue, were the cauntrirs as indepen- dent of each other as France and Spain ; becaufe in many articles, nei'her can go to a better mmket. But it is the independance of this country on Britain or any other, which it: now the main and only objefl worthy of contention. and t which. like all other truths difcoveredby necefiity, will appear clearer and flmnger every day.‘ Firfl. Becaufe it will come to that one time or other. "Secondly. Becaul‘s, the longer ititt delayed the harder i9 will be to accomplilh. l have frequently amufed myl'elf both in public and pri- vate companies, with filently remarking, the {pecious errore , oithofe who {peak without refleaing. And among the ma- ny which I have heard, the following feems the molt gene- _ ral, viz. that had this rupture happened forty or fifty yearn hence, inflead of new, the Continent wauld have been more . able to have flialren ofi'the dependence. To which 1 rev ply, that our military ability, at this time, arifea from the experience gained in the lat} war, and which in forty or fifty years time, would have been totally extiné'r. The Conti- nent, would not, by that time, have had a General, or even a military officer left; and we, or thofe who may fucceed us, would have been as ignorant of martial matters as the _ ancient Indians: And this tingle pofition. clofely attended to, Will unantwerably prove, that the preterit time is prefeta-bl: ing the debt we have, or may contract. The value of the back lands which tome oi the provinces are clanckf‘inely deprived of, by the utijull ex when of the limits of Canada, valued any at Five pounds flering per hut‘d ed acres, amount to upwards of twenty five millionr. Pennlylvania currency ; and the quirrents at one penny herring per acre, to two millions yearly. -It is by the {ale of thnf» "~an that the deb: may be funk, without burthen to an , we tut. quit-rent referved thereon, will always Him, and in time, will wholly fupport the yearly expence of government. It matters not how long the debt is in paying, fo that the lands when fold be-applied to the difcharge of it, and for the execution of which, the Congrefs for the time being, will be the continental truflees. . I proceed now to the fecpnd head. viz. Which is the eafiei't and molt practicable plan. RECONCILIATION OR IN. DEPENDANCE ; With fome occafional remarks. He who takes nature for his guide, is not eafiiy beaten out of his argument, and on that ground,I anfwer genrrally- 7/14! INDEPENDANCE [Ming a SINGLE SIMPLE LINE, contained within ourfdwr; and reconciliation, .a matter can (cedingly perplexed and complicated, and in which, a 17-10(th- eur capricious war! i: to interfere, give: the afl/Wrr'wflbmt a d M M ' The