Page 45 - JM Book 9/2020

Thomas Paine sat quietly in the Windsor chair while he read Jefferson’s draft. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and bowed his head in thought.
The day was coming to an end and Jefferson stood by the window admiring the sunset.
“I have a few suggestions that you might want to consider,” Paine said minutes later as he raised his head. “You have written a declaration that will stir the hearts and emotions of every American. And . . . it will confirm to the soldiers on the battlefield why they are fighting and dying for independence.” He handed the document to Jefferson.
Jefferson returned to his chair. “That is very comforting to hear,” he said. “You are the first person to read the finished declaration. Your Common Sense has unified our people to demand freedom. You accomplished in one pamphlet what other men have not been able to accomplish over a period of many years. I am grateful to you.”
Paine still could not believe the impact his “little pamphlet,” as he described it, was having across America. “My job was easy,” he responded. “I did not have the weight of a country on my shoulders like you and the other members of Congress. You are the ones who will, hopefully, take the step to actually break ties with England. All I had to do was argue that independence was the only path that made common sense. As I wrote, ‘The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.’”
“Your words helped to clarify and crystallize and mobilize public opinion in favor of independence,” responded Jefferson. “You are our most articulate spokesman.”
“I have only lived in this country two years, but I have come to love it more than my home country. The potential . . . the opportunities it offers are limitless. When independence is achieved, the people will prosper in so many ways. We have it in our power to begin a new country – one that will benefit the people, not the royal monarch and the elitist ruling class.”
Jefferson stood and walked to the open window. “What are your plans after you publish The Crisis?”
“Well, I am thinking about joining Washington’s army and finishing the essays while I serve alongside our brave men.”
35