Common Sense fiche n°3

Of the present ability of America, with some miscellaneous reflections
Paine says that the US should not fear Great Britain because at that moment, they had the “largest body of armed & disciplined men”. The fact that the US population is so numerous justifies the will to be independent. Moreover he adds that at the then present time, the US has no debts so it can contract some to win its independence. However he says that it would be unfair for the people if the US, just in fact to get a Constitution & repeal the acts they disagreed with (Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Tea Act…) contracted a huge debt that would then be transmitted to the next generations. Nevertheless, Paine says the national debt is but the insurance for having a navy, an army… & he says it would not be to have the £-140-million-pounds debt of Britain to have the same navy. Then, in tables, he gives the price of ships calculated by the Secretary to the navy, Mr. Burchett. Thanks to these calculations Paine concludes the British navy is worth £ 3.5 million pounds. Paine adds that America is completely able to build a fleet since it has all products necessary to create it. This project would even benefit the country because it would encourage the employment, so for him “a navy when finished is worth more than it cost”. Moreover, there is no need as thought at that time to have a fourth of the people on board who are sailors because the few sailors would instruct the others. He adds that nature destined the US to become the first producer of ships since she gave it a long extent of coasts & all the material necessary something that does not exist in another country. He also says there is a need for a fleet & means of defense even in the territory because unlike some decades before, there were at that time pirates or thieves. For that, some say Britain would give its protection but it would mean having British ships in the harbors thus being at the mercy of them. Moreover, the British fleet is busy all around the world so it could not protect the US at once but after quite a long time. Paine says having a navy is necessary so as to protect trade. “From Britain we can expect nothing but ruin”. He says this decision has to be made now because since the territory is not wholly occupied what is left of l& will be used to repay the debt instead of being given to the King. Moreover, to Paine’s mind, when trade increases the number of people in the armed forces will decrease because he thinks that when someone becomes more rich hr also becomes a coward: “youth is the seed time of good habits”. The unity has to be built now because if they wait for trade to increase, it will encourage competition (=concurrence en français different de concurrence en anglais: convergence) between the various colonies. For Paine, the edification of government has not been made in the right sense: there was a King & then a form of Government, what he wants is having a government which will then delegate some powers to an executive. He also says he wants the freedom of worship (=religion).
Then he comes back on the topic of the future Continental Charter: he wants large & equal representation but he also warns about the fact that the delegates have to attend the sessions because if not, a small number of people could decide of the destiny of the US he gives as an example what happened in Pennsylvania.
To conclude, he says that the US has to be independent now they can because:
- If it stays the subject of her majesty, they will quarrel forever & no other power is able to be a mediator.
- The other European powers will not help the US because they would suffer from it.
- The US being a threat to European powers because they can be the beginning of a rebellion, they have to solve the problem quickly.
- Everything possible has been done to avoid the war but the King provoked it.

Appendix
This is the 3rd edition of Common Sense but the day when was published the 1st edition, the King’s Speech was also published but the latter defended the opposite view. Paine considers it as “a willful audacious libel against the truth, the common good and the existence of mankind”, he adds that thanks to this essay, none cannot be considered that “the naked (=nu) and untutored Indian is less a Savage than the King of Britain”. Another essay was written by Sir John Dalrymple: “the Address of the people of England to the inhabitants of America” but this one shows clearly the idolatry toward the King, Paine considers that in this essay the author has “sunk himself beneath the rank of animals”, he is “like a worm” (=un vers).
Paine says it is the interest of the US and. Paine here foresees what will be decolonization during the 20th cent. He says this link of dependence has to be broken and it will be one day or another but the more the US waits, the harder it will be to do it. He says this is the right moment to claim for independence because the US is sufficiently populated and is enough experienced. To repay the debt, Paine suggests selling the backcountry. Paine considers that it is far easier to become independent than to reconcile but if they wait too much, nothing will be able to be done: neither conciliation nor independence. Some say Britain just has to make legislation come back as it was before 1763 that is to say before the tax acts were passed but even if legislation became the same, there would still be the debt created for the defense, all the losses (houses destroyed, people killed…) so it is not a right solution. He adds that in a way the US has been independent from the moment “the first musket was fired against her”, so now it is unavoidable.
He says there are 3 means to become independent:
- By the legal voice of the people in Congress which would in his view lead to “the purest constitution on earth”. He compares this situation to Noah and the flood (=deluge) when the whole world was to be reshaped (=remodeler)
- By a military power
- By a mob (=foule> révolution)
Paine suggests using trade in this war because if they get independent and then reestablish trade with Britain, they will still have the merchants with them because “peace with trade is preferable to war without it”
Paine finishes saying that every one should forgive the other “let the names of Whig and Tory be extinct”


He adds a part addressed to the Quakers (a religious society very conservative) who published “The Ancient Testimony and Principles of the people called Quakers renewed, with respect to the King and Government, and touching the commotions now prevailing in these and other parts of America addressed to the people in general”. Paine answers the principles of the Quakers forbid them to get interested in political issues and he says that if it were decided so it was because they were incapable of doing so: this essay is absurd, unnatural and unjust. In the essay, the author (anonymous) says he wants peace, at that Paine replies that this war is only fought in order for then institute peace forever with Britain. He adds this war is in a way a defensive war: there is no goal of conquest or revenge, just Justice. The Quakers said it was bad to fight since bearing arms was sinful, to this Paine replies the British too bear arms but the Quakers do nothing against them, why?
When the Quakers used the proverb “when a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him”, Paine replies that it means the King’s ways does not please the Lord since he has enemies.
Then the Quakers say that the ability to put down Kings and government is reserved to God, it is God who decides of the Government, but Paine says that if they believe this principle, they should wait to see what happens and take it has God’s will. He adds that the Quakers should keep mute because they have nothing interesting to say unless they are able to prove that God does not want the independence. He also remarks that the author is “not to be considered as the whole body of the Quakers but only as a factional and fractional part thereof” (=of it). He says this testimony dishonor their judgment because
- it tends to the decrease and reproach of religion
- It exhibits a body of men, numbers of whom disavow the publishing political testimonies, as being concerned therein and approvers thereof”.
- It destroys the continental harmony and friendship
He finishes saying that all inhabitants would disavow or reprobate them.

* Dans tout ce commentaire, j’ai utilisé la dénomination de the United States (US), attention, c’est un anachronisme, à l’époque ce n’était que America, ils ne deviendront les US qu’une fois la déclaration d’indépendance formellement déclarée le 4 juillet 1776, ça n’a été fait que dans un soucis de rapidité.