Our independence with God's blessing we will maintain against all the world; but as we wish to avoid evil ourselves, we wish not to inflict it on others.
Thomas Paine: “Our independence with God's blessing we will maintain against all the world; but as we wish to avoid evil ourselves, we…”
Editor's note · Context
Paine expresses America's unwavering commitment to independence, coupled with a desire to avoid inflicting harm on others.
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I have carefully avoided to enlarge upon the subject, because I am inclined to believe that what is called the present ministry, wish to see contentions about religion kept up, to prevent the nation turning its attention to subjects of…
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