The American Crisis (from 1776 to 2006, Valley Forge to Iraq)

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.

Whether the independence of the continent was declared too soon, or delayed too long, I will not now enter into as an argument....

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....

'Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. All nations and ages have been subject to them.... 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.

But, before the line of irrecoverable separation be drawn between us [patriot and anti-war protester], let us reason the matter together: Your conduct is an invitation to the enemy, yet not one in a thousand of you has heart enough to join him.

Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;" and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America. Her situation is remote from all the wrangling world, and she has nothing to do but to trade with them. A man can distinguish himself between temper and principle, and I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars, without ceasing, will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.

Say not that this is revenge, call it rather the soft resentment of a suffering people, who, having no object in view but the good of all, have staked their own all upon a seemingly doubtful event. Yet it is folly to argue against determined hardness; eloquence may strike the ear, and the language of sorrow draw forth the tear of compassion, but nothing can reach the heart that is steeled with prejudice.

Quitting this class of men, I turn with the warm ardor of a friend to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out: I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but "show your faith by your works," that God may bless you. It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all. The far and the near, the home counties and the back, the rich and the poor, will suffer or rejoice alike. The heart that feels not now is dead; the blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole, and made them happy. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. My own line of reasoning is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light. Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it? What signifies it to me, whether he who does it is a king or a common man; my countryman or not my countryman; whether it be done by an individual villain, or an army of them? If we reason to the root of things we shall find no difference; neither can any just cause be assigned why we should punish in the one case and pardon in the other.

There are cases which cannot be overdone by language, and this is one. There are persons, too, who see not the full extent of the evil which threatens them; they solace themselves with hopes that the enemy, if he succeed, will be merciful. It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war; the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf, and we ought to guard equally against both.

[The enemy] is mercifully inviting you to barbarous destruction, and men must be either rogues or fools that will not see it. I dwell not upon the vapors of imagination; I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as A, B, C, hold up truth to your eyes.

By perseverance and fortitude we have the prospect of a glorious issue; by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a variety of evils- a ravaged country- a depopulated city- habitations without safety, and slavery without hope.... Look on this picture and weep over it! and if there yet remains one thoughtless wretch who believes it not, let him suffer it unlamented.

* 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.

A note to our sunshine patriots, including those who ponder the way to vote, this November seventh.

In a future of a world subjugated by Shaira Law, will you say, "I actually voted for those who would protect America, before I voted against them?"

But wait! Is it just to engage in an undeclared war? And must we not deny one single "natural" right to one single enemy combatant lest we place our own civil rights in danger? Furhtermore, oh horrors of horrors, might not our sacred phone conversations be monitored in an overly zealous attempt to track terrorists? Perhaps we will be able to calm our fears regarding these dreaded consequences of the GWOT, while we ponder the situation knee-deep in the radioactive rubble of one of our cities.

The big difference, of course, is that Thomas Paine was writing about "Americans" fighting for freedom and liberty for themselves.

If modern Iraq doesn't have their own Thomas Paines, Patrick Henrys, George Washingtons, etc., then there's sure as hell no reason to give them ours.

No, we're not. We don't even know what the words "freedom" and "liberty" mean anymore.

If you or another doesn't know, go to the Middle East and the Arab nations. Discover the tyranny they are violently spreading throughout the world and be happy that American people you may wish to join John Kerry in insulting are there with natives fighting for at least some lasting measure of freedom and liberty.

I recognized all this "fighting for freedom" nonsense as a lot of crap right around last Christmas on a street corner in New York City -- when I came across a National Guardsman who had just returned from Iraq and was on his way home. He was standing there shivering on the sidewalk smoking a cigarette -- because the government of New York City decided that he wasn't allowed to smoke inside the bar/restaurant where he had stopped for a bite to eat.

"Freedom and liberty," my @ss. If this country had any idea what those words meant, we'd have overthrown about a third of our state and local governments by now, and burned most of our universities to the ground.

I see. The denial of Cigarette's Smokers Rights are proof to you that we who would fight for freedom against tyranny are wrong.

Clearly, we don't know what we're talking about, when we strive in a nation for judicial appointees such as those of President Bush.

We don't have any idea of what liberty is, when we fight against people who want to set up a world-wide Caliphate.

Huh. So much for such silly impulses. You're right. Let's just lay back and let those bloody footprints in Valley Forge all go for naught.

It had nothing to do with the "cigarette smoker's rights" at all -- but it had everything to do with the rights of the bar/restaurant owner to allow smoking or prohibit it as he sees fit.

Clearly, we don't know what we're talking about, when we strive in a nation for judicial appointees such as those of President Bush.

I agree with you 100%. So let's send a squad of Marines into every courthouse in the U.S. to enforce our country's noble traditions of freedom and liberty.

We don't have any idea of what liberty is, when we fight against people who want to set up a world-wide Caliphate.

Then exterminate them all. Why the hell would you ever want such people to cast votes in free elections?

Huh. So much for such silly impulses. You're right. Let's just lay back and let those bloody footprints in Valley Forge all go for naught.

It all went for naught a long time ago -- when this country decided that a big-government nanny state was preferable to the trials, tribulations, and uncertainties of life as free people.

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered"

found valuable how Paine ties together both the political and spiritual nature of freedom, both the external and the internal dimensions, and how difficult yet how dear is the goal. i salute our nation's service members. thank you for posting.

The incredible power, and also the currency of the ideas expressed, in the first quote -- the opening paragraph of The American Crisis I -- is why I've been working for years on a book that is now ready for publication. The title is "These are the times that try men's souls." The subtitle is, America -- Then and Now, in the Words of Tom Paine.

No researcher prior to me has noticed that Paine did not write in prose. He wrote in a natural unrhymed poetry, descended from the heroic measure of Homer (which he studied in the original Greek), and the iambic pentameter of Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, and parts of the King James Version of the Bible, many of the aphorisms of Miguel Cervantes. (Paine's knowledge of those four sources -- the four greatest sources of quotes in the English language -- can be demonstrated in his texts.

Here's an example:

"Of greater worth in the eyes of God
And society, is one honest man,
Than all the crowned ruffians who ever lived."

Congressman Billybob

Latest article: "Recess at Salisbury State"

Please see my most recent new statement on running for Congress, here.

now THAT is impressive!

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