The Project Gutenberg EBook of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine

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Title: Common Sense

Author: Thomas Paine

Editor: Moncure Daniel Conway

Posting Date: May 13, 2009 [EBook #3755]
Release Date: February, 2003
First Posted: August 21, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMON SENSE ***

Produced by Norman M. Wolcott. HTML version by Al Haines.

[Redactor's Note: Reprinted from the "The Writings of Thomas Paine
Volume I" (1894 - 1896). The author's notes are preceded by a "*".]

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THE WRITINGS

OF

THOMAS PAINE

COLLECTED AND EDITED BY

MONCURE DANIEL CONWAY

VOLUME I.

1774 - 1779

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XV.

COMMON SENSE

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

I. OF THE ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL, WITH CONCISE
REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION

II. OF MONARCHY AND HEREDITARY SUCCESSION

III. THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF AMERICAN AFFAIRS

IV. OF THE PRESENT ABILITY OF AMERICA, WITH SOME MISCELLANEOUS
REFLEXIONS

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INTRODUCTION

PERHAPS the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not
YET sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long
habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial
appearance of being RIGHT, and raises at first a formidable outcry
in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more
converts than reason.

As a long and violent abuse of power, is generally the Means of
calling the right of it in question (and in Matters too which might
never have been thought of, had not the Sufferers been aggravated
into the inquiry) and as the King of England hath undertaken in his
O