02: Revolutionary America

I know not why We Should blush to confess that Molasses was an essential Ingredient in American independence. Many great Events have proceeded from much Smaller Causes.

Convert the brave honest Officers of your Navy into pimping Tide-waiters and Colony Officers of the Customs.

Could British troops evict colonists from their homes, eat their food and use their facilities? That’s not exactly true, even though generations of students have heard that story

But the British military rarely took over private homes when it sought shelter during its occupation of the Americas.

Our Dunmore has at length Publishd his much dreaded proclamation—declareg Freedom to All Indented Servts &amp; Slaves <a id="GEWN-03-02-02-pb-0480"></a> (the Property of Rebels) that will repair to his majestys Standard—being able to bear Arms<a class="ptr" id="GEWN-03-02-02-0434-fn-0012-ptr" href="#GEWN-03-02-02-0434-fn-0012" title="jump to note 12">12</a>—What effect it will have upon those sort of people I cannot tell—I think if there was no white Servts in this family I shoud be under no apprehensition about the Slaves, however I am determined, that if any of them Create any confusition to make &amp; [an] example of him, Sears who is at worck here says there is not a man of them, but woud leave us, if they believe’d they coud make there Escape—Tom Spears Excepted—&amp; yet they have no fault to find[.

Liberty is sweet.

That the said colonies and plantations in America have been, are, and of right ought to be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the imperial crown and parliament of Great Britain

A great deal has been said without doors of the power, of the strength of America. It is a topic that ought to be cautiously meddled with. In a good cause, on a sound bottom, the force of this country can crush America to atoms.

In such a cause, your success would be hazardous. America, if she fell, would fall like a strong man. She would embrace the pillars of the state, and pull down the constitution along with her. Is this your boasted peace? Not to sheathe the sword in it scabbard, but to sheathe it in the bowels of your countrymen?

It is, that the Stamp Act be repealed absolutely, totally, and immediately; that the reason for the repeal should be assigned, because it was founded on an erroneous principle. At the same time, let the sovereign authority of this country over the colonies be asserted in as strong terms as can be devised, and be made to extend every point of legislation whatsoever: that we may bind their trade, confine their manufactures, and exercise every power whatsoever - except that of taking money out of their pockets without their consent.

I’de rather the Spittlefield weavers should pull down all the houses in old England, and knock the brains out of all the wicked great men there, than this country should loose their liberty

Our fore fathers came over here for liberty of conscience, and we have been nothing better than servants to ’em all along this 100 years, and got just enough to keep soul and body together, and buy their goods to keep us from freezing to death, and we won’t be their negroes. Providence never designed us for negroes, I know, for if it had it wou’d have given us black hides, and thick lips, and flat noses, and short woolly hair, which it han’t done, and therefore never intended us for slaves. This I know is good a sillogissim as any at colledge, I say we are as handsome as old England folks, and so should be as free.

Can it then be supposed that the Negroes will be better used by the English, who have always encouraged and upheld this slavery, than by their present masters, who pity their condition, who wish, in general, to make is as easy and comfortable as possible, and who would willingly, were it in their power, or were they permitted, not only prevent any more Negroes from losing their freedom, but restore it to such as have already unhappily lost it.

Small islands not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island. In no instance hath nature made the satellite larger than its primary planet, and as England and America, with respect to each other, reverses the common order of nature, it is evident they belong to different systems: England to Europe, America to itself.

O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her—Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind.

There are thousands, and tens of thousands, who would think it glorious to expel from the continent, that barbarous and hellish power, which hath stirred up the Indians and Negroes to destroy us, the cruelty hath a double guilt, it is dealing brutally by us, and treacherously by them.

I would not be so narrow minded as to suppose that there are not many Men of all Nations possessd of Honour, Virtue and Integrety; yet tis to be lamented that we have not Men among ourselves sufficently qualified for War to take upon them the most important command.

It was reported that he had a Spanking among them,<a class="ptr" id="AFC02d237n1-ptr" href="#AFC02d237n1" title="jump to note 1">1</a> but this I believe was not true. A large concourse of Men stood amazd silent Spectators of the whole transaction

(Source: New Jersey State Archives, Dept. of Defense Manuscripts, Loyalist Mss, No. 192-L.)

A formal remonstrance from Congress and other efforts to obtain his exchange resulted in his release, in poor physical condition, sometime in 1777

His Sentiments of the Abilities of America, and of the Difficulty of a Reconciliation with G.B. are generally approved. But his Notions, and Plans of Continental Government are not much applauded. Indeed this Writer has a better Hand at pulling down than building.

I could not have written any Thing in so manly and striking a style

This Writer seems to have very inadequate Ideas of what is proper and necessary to be done, in order to form Constitutions for single Colonies, as well as a great Model of Union for the whole.

16. That an enormous Proportion of Property vested in a few Individuals is dangerous to the Rights, and destructive of the Common Happiness, of Mankind; and therefore every free State hath a Right by its Laws to discourage the Possession of such Property.<a class="ptr" id="BNFN-01-22-02-0314-fn-0009-ptr" href="#BNFN-01-22-02-0314-fn-0009" title="jump to note 6">6</a>

I long to hear that you have declared an independancy—and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, I cannot but laugh.

another Tribe more numerous and powerfull than all the rest were grown discontented.—This is rather too coarse a Compliment but you are so saucy, I wont blot it out.

. We have only the Name of Masters, and rather than give up this, which would compleatly subject Us to the Despotism of the Peticoat,

After stirring up Tories, Landjobbers, Trimmers, <a id="ADMS-04-01-02-pb-0383"></a>Bigots, Canadians, Indians, Negroes, Hanoverians, Hessians, Russians, Irish Roman Catholicks, Scotch Renegadoes, at last they have stimulated the <span class="space" title="space in original" style="padding-left:1.5em; padding-right:1.5em;">&nbsp;</span> to demand new Priviledges and threaten to rebell.

In the Course of this Winter appeared a Phenomenon in Philadelphia <u> a Star of Disaster</u> <span class="add">Disastrous Meteor</span>, I mean Thomas Paine.

His Arguments from the old <span title="Testament">Testiment</span>, were ridiculous, but whether they proceeded from

honest Ignorance, <span class="del">and</span> or foolish<span class="supplied" title="Manuscript reads: &quot;Superstion&quot;"> [Superstition]</span> on one hand, or from willfull Sophistry and knavish <span title="Hypocrisy">Hypocricy</span> <span class="del">on the other</span> I know not.

<span title="Title">Tittle</span> of Thoughts on Government in a Letter from a Gentleman to his Friend.

The third part of Common Sense which relates wholly to the Question of Independence, was clearly written and contained a <span title="tolerable">tollerable</span> Summary of the Arguments which I had been repeating again and again in Congress for nine months. But I am bold to say there is not a Fact nor a Reason stated in it, which had not been frequently urged in Congress. The Temper and Wishes of the People, supplied every thing at that time: and the Phrases, suitable for an Emigrant from New Gate, or <span class="del">who</span> <span class="add">one</span> who had chiefly associated with such Company, such as "The Royal Brute of England," "The Blood upon his Soul," and a few others

We have done Evil or our Enimies would be at peace with us. The Sin of Slavery as well as many others is not washed away.

<p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="first-para">If I had to justify our right to enslave negroes, this is what I would say:</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="first-para">Once the peoples of Europe had wiped out the people of America, they were obliged to enslave the peoples of Africa, because they needed someone to clear the land in America.</p>

Sugar would be too expensive if there were no slaves to cultivate the plant it comes from.

The fact that negroes value glass necklaces more highly than gold ones, which are worth so much more in civilised countries, just goes to show that they have no common sense.

It is impossible to believe that these people are human beings,