Her ideas of national honor seem devoid of that benevolence of heart, that universal expansion of philanthropy, and that triumph over the rage of vulgar prejudice, without which man is inferior to himself, and a companion of common animals.
Thomas Paine: “Her ideas of national honor seem devoid of that benevolence of heart, that universal expansion of philanthropy, and that…”
Editor's note · Context
In "The American Crisis," Paine criticizes Great Britain's understanding of national honor as lacking benevolence and philanthropy.
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Reason and discussion, persuasion and conviction, become the weapons in the contest, and it is only when those are attempted to be suppressed that recourse is had to violence.
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