“A thousand years hence perhaps in less, America may be what Europe is now. The innocence of her character, that won the hearts of all nations in her favor, may sound like a romance and her inimitable virtues as if it had never been. The ruin of that liberty which thousands bled for or struggled to obtain may just furnish materials for a village tale or extort a sigh from rustic sensibility, while the fashionable of the day, enveloped in dissipation, shall deride the principle and deny the fact.
“When we contemplate the fall of Empires and the extinction of the nations of the Ancient World, we see but little to excite our regret than the mouldering ruins of pompous palaces, magnificent museums, lofty pyramids and walls and towers of the most costly workmanship; but when the Empire of America shall fall, the subject for contemplative sorrow will be infinitely greater than the crumbling brass and marble can inspire. It will not then be said, here stood a temple of vast antiquity; here rose a babel of invisible height; or there a palace of sumptuous extravagance; but here, Ah, painful thought! the noblest work of human wisdom, the grandest scene of human glory, the fair cause of Freedom rose and fell.”
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: — ’Tis dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
Now if we can find more like Paine AND end the propaganda and Fake News. perhaps we can save our Republic. The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, is being transformed into the Land of the Flea and home of the Slave. THIS MUST END BEFORE ELECTION 2024.
Please check our #1 New Book on Amazon -- Invisible Treason.
Incredible tale, well told, an' real too! (most've us never heard this good stuff in "skool"--nor did we know so many of our foundin' fathers were basically homeschooled an' self-taught). Fascinatin' man, whod'a thunk?! (not I) --an' that he wuz both a pirate (basically) an' a corset-tier too--quite a story. I find his words so eloquent, hard ta reckon'cile with the coarse / drunken demeanor. Sounds like Ol' George (not so hot on the battlefield) owed'im one--lettin' him rot in prison all that time did reflect poorly on him so I do git Paine's bitterness--he should'a kept it private tho'--thinkin' of the bigger picture.
As for matters of "holdin' back...," the Constitution would never've been ratified had the thorny issue of slavery been forced (much that it would have ta be addressed eventually); it was Jefferson who saved the day by kickin' that can down the road a piece, even tho' (for all I've read) it "Pained" him! Again he cautioned wisely for Paine ta hold back on that honest if "inflammatory" treatise on "fabulous theology" an' I'm not sure if it wuz hubris or passion that caused Paine to once again throw caution ta the wind--an' git it back square in the face. Poor man. He deserved way more 'n six at his funeral. But thanks ta this piece, I (an' my girls with whom I've shared it!) will indeed remember him with far greater appreciation!
“A thousand years hence perhaps in less, America may be what Europe is now. The innocence of her character, that won the hearts of all nations in her favor, may sound like a romance and her inimitable virtues as if it had never been. The ruin of that liberty which thousands bled for or struggled to obtain may just furnish materials for a village tale or extort a sigh from rustic sensibility, while the fashionable of the day, enveloped in dissipation, shall deride the principle and deny the fact.
“When we contemplate the fall of Empires and the extinction of the nations of the Ancient World, we see but little to excite our regret than the mouldering ruins of pompous palaces, magnificent museums, lofty pyramids and walls and towers of the most costly workmanship; but when the Empire of America shall fall, the subject for contemplative sorrow will be infinitely greater than the crumbling brass and marble can inspire. It will not then be said, here stood a temple of vast antiquity; here rose a babel of invisible height; or there a palace of sumptuous extravagance; but here, Ah, painful thought! the noblest work of human wisdom, the grandest scene of human glory, the fair cause of Freedom rose and fell.”
-Thomas Paine; 1794 while in Luxembourg prison
Thanks much for that. How eerily prophetic!
wowee, the last few lines are little too prescient! (guess he had a crystal ball in his cell)
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: — ’Tis dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
So Prescient… so timely
I put it up on my Sub. And added some graphics.
If Men Were Men, They’d Take Back Their Liberty [or — Be a Lion In Defense of Liberty].
https://gailhonadle.substack.com/p/if-men-were-men-theyd-take-back-their
Amen. Share this one all over.
Now if we can find more like Paine AND end the propaganda and Fake News. perhaps we can save our Republic. The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, is being transformed into the Land of the Flea and home of the Slave. THIS MUST END BEFORE ELECTION 2024.
Please check our #1 New Book on Amazon -- Invisible Treason.
https://www.johntrudel.com
It only took one back then.
Will check out the book.
If Men Were Men, They’d Take Back Their Liberty [or — Be a Lion In Defense of Liberty]
https://www.theburningplatform.com/.../if-men-were-men.../
Very timely post... and needed!
Incredible tale, well told, an' real too! (most've us never heard this good stuff in "skool"--nor did we know so many of our foundin' fathers were basically homeschooled an' self-taught). Fascinatin' man, whod'a thunk?! (not I) --an' that he wuz both a pirate (basically) an' a corset-tier too--quite a story. I find his words so eloquent, hard ta reckon'cile with the coarse / drunken demeanor. Sounds like Ol' George (not so hot on the battlefield) owed'im one--lettin' him rot in prison all that time did reflect poorly on him so I do git Paine's bitterness--he should'a kept it private tho'--thinkin' of the bigger picture.
As for matters of "holdin' back...," the Constitution would never've been ratified had the thorny issue of slavery been forced (much that it would have ta be addressed eventually); it was Jefferson who saved the day by kickin' that can down the road a piece, even tho' (for all I've read) it "Pained" him! Again he cautioned wisely for Paine ta hold back on that honest if "inflammatory" treatise on "fabulous theology" an' I'm not sure if it wuz hubris or passion that caused Paine to once again throw caution ta the wind--an' git it back square in the face. Poor man. He deserved way more 'n six at his funeral. But thanks ta this piece, I (an' my girls with whom I've shared it!) will indeed remember him with far greater appreciation!
Thank you much and thank you for sharing.
Interesting use of the Bad Company reference. I suppose one could think of him as bad company if you were a royalist or profited from the status quo.
Thank you and good one. It went through my mind when I was thinking the destructive nature of some of the most gifted among us.
Great rounded history lesson about Paine. While he may have lost his bearings at the end, that does not diminish his pivotal role in the Revolution.
Thank you. The more I researched the more I found.