T H E P A T R I O T. PL E F G R E A T B RIT A IN PEO O , ON T H E T ST AT E OF AFFAIR PRESEN S. ND C U T R! ME FRIE NDS A O N N , ! OU R attention has of lat e been called off ’ from the peaceful engagements of d omefti c \ i n ’ d ifc ufli ons on fub e éts of duftry , to the great j go le iflati on T hefe fub ve rnm e nt and g . j e €ts which i n t e re fls of i involve the mill ons , have been treated hilofo he rs of ff of by p p di erent ages , as matters high f e c ula ti on whi c h w t he p , are to be approached ith all of ifd om i he fe caution w and experience . With n t t wo w has difc ove re d t years , ho ever, it been , tha this w as ami fiake fc i e nc e of v , and that the go ernment , of m c on fii tu ti ons all and the art aking , are level to c i s . we nf me t the e o apacit e Nay , are i or d , hat p A ple ' pi e of this country have been under miflake s {till f . d an d more unaccountable Our athers believe , w e d b oafte d w e w fre imagine and , that ere e and w e d w (li lti n happy , that enjoye privileges hich ui fhe d of r g B ritons among the nations Eu ope , ’ w e oiTeflEd c on i ti t u t i on w i that p a hich , combin ng the benefits of the various fimple forms of g o ve rn m e n t u of , avoided the pec liar inconveniences ’ a ri i t oc rat i c al d the monarchical , the , and the emo c ra t i c al . d d plans We conclu e , that to this con fii t u t i on w e ow ed the gre at n efs to w hich w e have f fi re n t h ri en among the nations , and the inherent g ’ ’ w d wi t rrfta n d i n fnock s hich has enable us to ch , as furvi ve d no other country could have , and to ex d f f e ten our in luence to the extremities o t h globe . It is only four years fin c e this w hole nation o h ‘ ‘ fe rve d da of u oile e a n d d t hankl a great y j , joine in for t h ofe d iii i n ui ih e d blefii n s giving to God , g g w hich w e and ou r fathers had for on e hund red d f f o R . years enjoye rom the - period the evolution o ur fur rife m orti fic at i on vc B ut to great p and , are ’ n ow w e mi ftak e n all told that have been along , w e w a mife rable an d that are , and al ays h ve been , e n fla ve d w a s fe c re t w e , though this kept a 5 that have no privileges (excepting perhaps the pri vi of ou r s of { lege reviling ruler , and promoting edi I ‘ tion) , that there is no nch thing in Britain as a c on fii t ut i on at - R 1 all , that the evolution in 6 8 8 w a s t f - w ho no better han a arce , that the men ‘ c on d u €t e d t ran fa Cti on w ufu r ers a n d that ere p , that w e have yet to begin the w hole w ork of framing for - of lfla n d a government the people this . Thei c m oft unexpect ed ar ticles of intelli gence have been brought to this country by Thomas F fub e ét f of t h e A m e ri c a n aine , a j , as he ays , States , ’ w ho ow ns his inveterat e hoi tili ty to Britain d u r mg - 3 < e r war“ w ing h ith France , Spain, Holland , and t o America , and his intention to have come over at fow d ifie n ti on London that period , to in the n ot country , by anonymous pamphlets , had he been diverted from hi s pu rpofe by his appre hen * fr m of w . f o the gallo s The ame Thomas Paine , who at thi s moment pleads t he freedom of the ’ re fs afc e r a i ne d c on fti tu ti on of p as t by the Britain , and his right in law to lay his challenge aga i n fi; the nominati on of the j ury by w hich he i s to be ’ th rofe c u ti on i n fli t u te d a ainft tried , in e p g him by the Attorney G e neralT his very pleas of defence u nder the charge of defaming a n d libelling t he ri ti flr v r f d on go e nment , being ounde the recog n i ti on of fu c h purity and equity in that gove rn w I n ment , as are unkno n any other country , and fuc h pleas as he d urft i n .no other nation have put in w ri ting but he 13 aware that there 18 a dignity ’ a n d fte a d i n efs in the ad mi n i ltrat i ori of la w i n r i w w n ot o u tfi e B ita n , hich ill p its limits , even to r f n f reach the a lien libelle o i t s ow oundations . ad d re fs , , on , Permit me my countrymen to you the topics which have n ow been brought under ‘ d ifc ufii on fi w f general , and to ate ithout re erve t hofe fe n ti me n t s w hich are the refult of fome in of quiry into the principles government , and w fu e fte d w l f ar hich are gg ith pecu iar orce , by an t a c hme n t c on fiit u t i on w to that , hich every Briton w ho w w wi lh re fe rve m oft kno s it , ill to p as the r r of p ecious inhe itance his children . The R evolution of France w as from its com ‘ me n c e me n t fubje t t of i n t e refli n t o ‘ a g a tenti n to A 2 the Ri a n M 1 . ht s of . 1 c ha n g , p p . 5 . ot e . ’ V i d e A dd refs t o the A dd refiers. ( 4 ) f th the inhabitants o Britain . As e fon s of free ’ d om w e f fati sfaéti on fuc c efs , elt a generous in the of who fi an d on r the patriots , took their the g ound i of re fifian c e who firft d u t t e r i n , and venture to of flave r t hefe of B ri ti fh the land y, terms origin , ' z Ri / r o l tuzi f be a r Ma n a nd a Car z on . t g f , y We orgo the hoftili ty which our enemy had {h e vm to us for ages w e w aved th e re c olle éti on of her 11 11 provoked and pe rfidi ou s interference i n the A me ri c an ' w ar ; w e faw a great people reclaiming the i ' of a f i ri n b e fre e . nheritance men , and boldly p g to We knew the value of a blefii n g w hich we had long p offe ffe d in its fuln e fs and pe rfection a blef ’ li n w d imi n i fh e d fe c u re d , g hich is not / but by com m u m c at r n d f o . w to others We looke or ard , there f w f o t w ore , ith joy ul anticipati n to the ime hen the monarchy of France Ih ould be re firi fte d by r a n d w fl fi pe manent limitations , hen the ave nally refc u e d f o re fii on fh ou ld fa rom pp , be able to y to a n E n li fh n ma n ow o . g , I am your br ther We w w d of w w kne , ho ever , the magnitu e the ork hich f the patriots of France had undertaken . Our a t he rs w r n hen they bequeathed to us the inhe ita ce , charging us before G od a n d men t o prefe rve it ed t ra n fmi t fafel ou r d unalter , and to it y to chil ren d f w , tol us at the ame time the price hich the ’ ‘ p u rc hafe had co t them 5 and fhe we d us tba l f or a - f t i m t t ill N a ti on to be f ree i t i f N OT fifi c e ba fl e w : i t .