Paine and Common Sense : Happy Birthday Mr. Thomas Paine January 29, 1737

Happy Birthday Mr. Thomas Paine!

The Father of the American Revolution

1776 Common Sense

Thomas Paine (born Pain) January 29, 1737
Thetford, Norfolk, England to Joseph Pain, Quaker staymaker.
and Frances Cocke Pain, daughter of an attorney.

"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver..."

Thomas Paine Common Sense 1776, January and February

 Thank You for Common Sense, The Crisis, The Rights of Man, The Age of Reason

Thank You for Your Writings To Ignite the American Revolution.

Thank You for Your Service in Our Continental Army.

We the People Need To Hold Onto These Ideals

For Ourselves, For the World, and For All the World's Children.

 

Paine " "tossed a spark that turned a disorganized rebellion into the overthrow of an entire social and political system." It is probably that every literate colonist read Common Sense or knew about its contents. It was read aloud in taverns, at town meetings, and village greens."

Thomas Paine: in rabble we trust. By Walter F. Wouk (about the author) Permalink (Page 1 of 1 pages) OpEdNews Op Eds 1/29/2013 at 05:01:58

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Thomas-Paine-in-rabble-we-by-Walter-F-Wouk-130128-463.html

 

References

Thomas Paine. Wikipedia



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine

Thomas Paine.
http://www.ushistory.org/paine/

Thomas Paine. copyright © 2000 Steven Kreis
Last Revised -- July 31, 2012
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/paine.html

Thomas Paine. With Links to his works.
http://www.punkerslut.com/articles/thomaspaine.html

 

 

Common Sense. By Thomas Paine. 1776

http://www.ushistory.org/paine/commonsense/

 

 

Selections:

 

"Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him, out of two evils to choose the least. Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

 

 

If the colony continue encreasing, it will become necessary to augment the number of representatives, and that the interest of every part of the colony may be attended to, it will be found best to divide the whole into convenient parts, each part sending its proper number: and that the ELECTED might never form to themselves an interest separate from the ELECTORS, prudence will point out the propriety of having elections often: because as the ELECTED might by that means return and mix again with the general body of the ELECTORS in a few months, their fidelity to the public will be secured by the prudent reflection of not making a rod for themselves. And as this frequent interchange will establish a common interest with every part of the community, they will mutually and naturally support each other, and on this, (not on the unmeaning name of king,) depends the STRENGTH OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE HAPPINESS OF THE GOVERNED.