ommon to both, and can have no weight in an argument.
It is said, in defense of this paper being Mr. Jefferson's, that the
"Summary View" of his submitted to, but not passed by the Virginia
Delegate Convention in 1774, contained the "_germs_" of the Declaration.
This I do not admit, but if it did, it would prove nothing, for so did
the writings of John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, and Samuel Adams, and
especially of James Otis. A thousand men in America had, perhaps,
expressed the cardinal doctrine of equal rights, and that the British
Parliament had usurped them. There is nothing peculiar nor individual in
this; but when we find one man only who makes a specialty of the
_Declaration_, it attracts attention, and must have great weight when
supported by a multitude of other special facts, all pointing in the
same direction. I, therefore, go to show:

First, Common Sense was written by Mr. Paine for the sole purpose of
declaring independence, and, with this document in view. I have
heretofore reviewed Common Sense, beginning on page 156 of this book. If
it were practicable for the reader to read the whole of Common Sense at
this time, it would render my labor much less; but as this may not be
the case, I will now give the whole of the third division of that paper,
being:

"THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

"In the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts,
plain arguments, and common sense; and have no other preliminaries
to settle with the reader, than that he will divest himself of
prejudice and prepossession, and suffer his reason and his
feelings to determine for themselves; that he will put _on_, or
rather that he will not put _off_ the true character of a man, and
generously enlarge his views beyond the present day.

"Volumes have been written on the subject of the struggle between
England and America. Men of all ranks have embarked in the
controversy from different motives, and with various designs; but
all have been ineffectual, and the period of debate is closed.
Arms, as the last resource, must decide the contest; the appeal
was the choice of the king, and the continent hath accepted the
challenge.

"It has been reported of the late Mr. Pelham (who, though an able
minister, was not without his faults), that on his being attacked
in the House of Commons, on the score, that his measures were only
of a temporary kind, replied "_they w