Thomas Paine: “America is now sovereign and independent, and ought to conduct her affairs in a regular style of character.”

The horrid scene that is now acting by the English government in the East-Indies, is fit only to be told of Goths and Vandals, who, destitute of principle, robbed and tortured the world they were incapable of enjoying.

But where genuine principles of liberty pervade a people, every thing is restored to order; and the soldier civilly treated, returns the civility.

There ought, therefore, to be in every nation a method of occasionally ascertaining the state of public opinion with respect to government.

Long experience however has shown, that reforms of this kind are not those which old governments wish to promote, and therefore it is to nations, and not to such governments, that these matters present themselves.