Numbers of the moderate men, whose chief fault, at that time, arose from entertaining a better opinion of Britain than she deserved, convinced now of their mistake, gave her up, and publicly declared themselves good Whigs.
Paine observes how many moderate Americans, initially sympathetic to Britain, became convinced of their error and joined the Whig cause for independence.
Share
More from Thomas Paine
The insulted German and the enslaved Spaniard, the Russ and the Pole, are beginning to think.
There is, therefore, no power but the voluntary will of the people that has a right to act in any matter respecting a general reform; and by the same right that two persons can confer on such a subject, a thousand may.
But in England there are no such occasional bodies; and as to those who are now called Representatives, a great part of them are mere machines of the court, placemen, and dependants.
Peace, which costs nothing, is attended with infinitely more advantage, than any victory with all its expense.