In the undistinguishable mode of conducting a
war, we frequently make reprisals at sea, on the vessels of persons in
England, who are friends to our cause compared with the resident
Tories among us.
In every former publication of mine, from Common Sense down to the
last Crisis, I have generally gone on the charitable supposition, that
the Tories were rather a mistaken than a criminal people, and have
applied argument after argument, with all the candor and temper
which I was capable of, in order to set every part of the case clearly
and fairly before them, and if possible to reclaim them from ruin to
reason. I have done my duty by them and have now done with that
doctrine, taking it for granted, that those who yet hold their
disaffection are either a set of avaricious miscreants, who would
sacrifice the continent to save themselves, or a banditti of hungry
traitors, who are hoping for a division of the spoil. To which may
be added, a list of crown or proprietary dependants, who, rather
than go without a portion of power, would be content to share it
with the devil. Of such men there is no hope; and their obedience will
only be according to the danger set before them, and the power that is
exercised over them.
A time will shortly arrive, in which, by ascertaining the characters
of persons now, we shall be guarded against their mischiefs then;
for in proportion as the enemy despair of conquest, they will be
trying the arts of seduction and the force of fear by all the
mischiefs which they can inflict.
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