Thomas Paine: “When another nation shall join France, despotism and bad government will scarcely dare to appear.”

The American constitutions were to liberty what a grammar is to language: they define its parts of speech, and practically construct them into syntax.

Man cannot, properly speaking, make circumstances for his purpose, but he always has it in his power to improve them when they occur, and this was the case in France.

Many of the facts were in themselves principles; such as the declaration of American Independence, and the treaty of alliance between France and America, which recognised the natural rights of man, and justified resistance to oppression.

He writes neither in the character of a Frenchman nor an Englishman, but in the fawning character of that creature known in all countries, and a friend to none--a courtier.