The Writings of Thomas Paine: Common Sense

The decent people of our country are gravely oppressed by the combination, and as the King of England, in his own Right, supports the Parliament in what he calls Theirs, they have an undeniable right to enquire into both parties' claims and to reject either one's usurpation.Some authors have blurred the lines between society and government, making it difficult to tell the two apart.Government is created by our wickedness, whereas society is created by our desires.The former positively promotes happiness by combining our emotions, while the latter adversely restricts our vices.The first one was a patron, the latter one a judge. Our strength comes from our unity, not from our size, yet even so, the might of the entire planet may be repelled by our current numbers.It is interesting to consider how a race of men became so elevated above all others and distinct like a brand-new species.Our land force is already adequate, and we can't pretend to be oblivious to the fact that Britain would never let the construction of an American man of war as long as the continent was under her control in terms of naval affairs.Denial of the British parliament's authority "to bind the colonies in all instances whatsoever" was one of the finest expressions of romantic unity that America has ever known.