A Few Words From Thomas Paine
The Crisis
Thomas Paine
December 23, 1776
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but “to bind us in all cases whatsoever,” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.
Whether the independence of the continent was declared too soon, or delayed too long, I will not now enter into as an argument; my own simple opinion is, that had it been eight months earlier, it would have been much better. We did not make a proper use of last winter, neither could we, while we were in a dependent state. However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own*; we have none to blame but ourselves. But no great deal is lost yet.
All that [Gen.] Howe has been doing for this month past, is rather a ravage than a conquest, which the spirit of the Jerseys, a year ago, would have quickly repulsed, and which time and a little resolution will soon recover.
I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent.
Neither have I so much of the infidel in me, as to suppose that He has relinquished the government of the world, and given us up to the care of devils; and as I do not, I cannot see on what grounds the king of Britain can look up to heaven for help against us: a common murderer, a highwayman, or a house-breaker, has as good a pretence as he.
* The present winter is worth an age, if rightly employed; but, if lost or neglected, the whole continent will partake of the evil; and there is no punishment that man does not deserve, be he who, or what, or where he will, that may be the means of sacrificing a season so precious and useful.
‘Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. All nations and ages have been subject to them. Britain has trembled like an ague at the report of a French fleet of flat-bottomed boats; and in the fifteenth century the whole English army, after ravaging the kingdom of France, was driven back like men petrified with fear; and this brave exploit was performed by a few broken forces collected and headed by a woman, Joan of Arc. Would that heaven might inspire some Jersey maid to spirit up her countrymen, and save her fair fellow sufferers from ravage and ravishment!
Yet panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows through them, and acquires a firmer habit than before. But their peculiar advantage is, that they are the touchstones of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to light, which might otherwise have lain forever undiscovered. In fact, they have the same effect on secret traitors, which an imaginary apparition would have upon a private murderer. They sift out the hidden thoughts of man, and hold them up in public to the world. Many a disguised Tory has lately shown his head, that shall penitentially solemnize with curses the day on which Howe arrived upon the Delaware.
The remainder of Paine’s essay The Crisis is here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3741/3741-h/3741-h.htm#link2H_4_0002
It is free to read and copy, if you choose. I suggest reading it when you have time to devote full attention to it.
Category: Historical, Liberals suck
A good reminder post Mi’Lady. It used to be required reading and a essay type question nack yonder for a history, civics, or government school class.
Sad that the history of freedom gained the hard way is not taught enough anymore.
Thank you, 5th/77th.
The last paragraph that I included is as relevant now as it was 243 years ago.
Very well written. It’s good to occasionally reread the words of our Founding Fathers. Thanks very much for posting …
“These are the times that try men’s souls…”
I had to memorize that entire first paragraph as part of a school project.
Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for showing how pertinent it still is.
Hell, I thought that was Shakespeare.
I had to memorize as well. I wish I had been more interested in history in HS. After retirement I went on to get a BA in history from UWF. I love history.
Roll Tide!!
I was thinking that this entire speech could be overlaid on modern video. thanks.
Paine goes further into discussing Howe’s tactics and Washington’s responses and countermeasures.
The full pamphlet is a long read, but worth it.
If we had been schooled in, say, 1850, we might have heard something of Common Sense and that’s about it as far as Paine goes. He was not an honored member of the revolution in the post-war years. He was useful to the cause and of little use to anyone afterward. This line from his 1809 obituary captures the sentiment nicely: “He had lived long, did some good and much harm.”
I was not aware of that
That’s because his ill reputation was resurrected and refurbished, first by (of all people) the British and later by Americans. Here’s what Founding Father John Adams said about him: “For such a mongrel between pig and puppy, begotten by a wild boar on a bitch wolf, never before in any age of the world was suffered by the poltroonery of mankind, to run through such a career of mischief. Call it then the Age of Paine.”
Amazing, is it not?
I had to look up poltroonery. I’ll save others the trouble. It means cowardice. I had thought he was held in high regard by the other Founding Fathers (it deserves capitalization) but it appears he got little respect during his life. Hard to believe this was the case but, yes it is true. I read only six were at his funeral and three of them were former (?) slaves. Well, the way he was treated and thought of bothers me. 2/17 got me to do some research and it appears he died alone, forgotten by the country he helped form. I find that to be very sad. Very sad …
As I recall (caveat emptor) Thomas Paine was not of the educated, landed folk, but a common workman who was able to think and write clearly about Freedom.
As much as I respect the Founding Fathers, they were human with all the weaknesses and idiocy pertaining thereunto.
He was an Aetheist and he was shunned because of it. The only person’s attending his funeral were a neighbor and a cleaning lady (as I recall). His bones were later dug up by an Englishman, carried across the pond, stored in an attic, and eventually lost. I’ve always had a soft spot for Thomas Paine… Dave Hardin too.
This was not so much because he was an atheist as because of his having written The Age of Reason, which challenged organized religion in general, and Christianity along with the bible in particular.
The book advocated Deism and Reason in the place of Revelation. As these didn’t sit well with believers as they still don’t, he was, as you said, shunned.
The irony of this is that Paine’s words are as relevant now as they were when he wrote them.
I hadn’t read it since high school and believe me that was a LONG time ago. It was a good read and thoroughly enjoyed, many thanks for posting it.