Thomas Paine: “There are situations that a nation may be in, in which peace or war, abstracted from every other consideration, may be…”

The aristocracy has screened itself too much, and this serves to restore a part of the lost equilibrium.

A knowledge of the practice was then joined to the theory; and all that was wanting to give it real existence was opportunity.

But the spirit of the nation was not to be overcome, and it was so fully sensible of the strong ground it had taken--that of withholding taxes--that it contented itself with keeping up a sort of quiet resistance, which effectually…

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.