Common Sense

Common Sense.
 ‘Common Sense’ is an extraordinary pamphlet of forty seven pages 120,000 copies of which were bought in the first three months of its publication, with an estimated total sale of about half a million. Every literate person in the thirteen American colonies is believed to have read it. Written by an Englishman Thomas Paine in 1776, it was a clarion call to the colonists to fight for their independence. Revolution was pointed out to them as the only solution of their conflict with. England.
The first portion of the pamphlet deals with the origin and nature of government with special reference to English Constitution. Paine characterized the British constitution as lacking in responsibility as it was so complex that it was impossible to hold anyone accountable for anything. Like Jefferson, Paine held the view that Government is a necessary evil. He held that as civilization advanced, the need for government would diminish. Paine reserved his harshest words to the institution of hereditary monarchy, especially in England. In contempt of the institution of monarchy and hereditary succession he remarked “Of more worth is one honest man to the society, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.”
Having exploded the popular ideas about monarchical government, Paine proceeded to advance economic arguments for separation of American colonies from Britain. In reply to Tories’ contention that America flourished because of its connection with England, he rejoined that American colonies’ prosperity was not because of their association with England but because of their ability to produce essential articles and to trade them successfully in Europe. Paine ridiculed the practice of calling England mother country as absurd, because a small island could not be the mother of a continent. In his view, it was Europe and not England that may qualify as the parent.
Paine devoted the final chapter to practical considerations on the ability of America and expressed the view that it had the necessary resources and ability not only to wage war with Britain, but also, if necessary to win against a hostile world. Summarizing the reasons for his conviction that nothing but declaration of independence could settle the conflict with England, Paine concluded the pamphlet with enumeration of four factors:
(1) As long as America was regarded as subject of Britain, no other nation would attempt to mediate the differences between them. (2) No aid could be expected from France or Spain in repairing the breach and strengthening the connection between Britain and America. (3) As long as Americans professed to be subjects of Britain, they would be considered rebels by the foreign nations, and therefore would win little sympathy. (4) If Americans would prepare a declaration setting forth their intention of breaking off all their connections with Britain, and send copies of the declaration to other countries, expressing their peaceful disposition towards them and their desire to establish trade relations, the results would be highly favorable.
 That was the revolutionary message communicated to the American people by ‘Common Sense’ running the gamut from realistic and practical arguments to emotion charged appeals of an agitator.
The effects of ‘Common Sense’ were immediate and cataclysmic. Commenting on it, George Washington wrote to Joseph Reed, “A few more of such flaming arguments as were exhibited at Falmouth and Norfolk, added to the sound doctrine and unanswerable reasoning contained in the pamphlet ‘Common Sense’, will not leave members at a loss to decide upon the propriety of separation.” General Charles Lee said, “I own it has convinced me.” Benjamin Rush said of Paine’s writings: “They burst upon the press with an effect that has rarely been produced by type and paper in any age or country.“ Benjamin Franklin agreed that it had a “prodigious effect” on him. On July 4, 1776, less than six months after Paine’s pamphlet came off tthe press, the Continental Congress, meeting in the Sate House at Philadelphia, proclaimed the independence of America. Referring to the effects of ‘Common Sense’ The British historian George Trevelyan commented: “It would be difficult to name any human composition which has had an effect at once so instant, so extended and so lasting. It was pirated, parodied, imitated and translated into the language of every country. …” Thomas Paine was the man who, perhaps more than any other individual, deserves the title “Founder of American Independence”; this was the man who first proudly used the phrase ‘The United States of America’. No better index to Paine’s character can be found than his reply to Franklin’s remark, “Where there is liberty, there is my country.” “Where liberty is not” said Paine, “there is mine.” As Andrew Jackson said, “Thomas Paine needs no monument made by hands; he has erected a monument in the hearts of all lovers of liberty.” #