Times That Try Men's Souls
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 by Miss Lemon
When Thomas Jefferson penned the renowned words of the Declaration of Independence, he declared life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as the unalienable rights endowed upon mankind. It is liberty though that remained the principle hope and heart of Colonial American patriotism in a burgeoning nation that endured many tribulations under tyrannical British rule. This unquenchable desire for freedom may be easily observed in the now-immortal letters and speeches of the early American patriots. While many look to the familiar words of the Founding Fathers for inspiring quotations, I found the most outstanding patriotic quote to be from American philosopher and revolutionary Thomas Paine. During the years of the American Revolution, Paine published two pamphlets, one entitled Common Sense, which argued for American independence, and the other The Crisis, which outlined the severe challenges facing the emerging nation during the Revolutionary war. In the introductory article of his The Crisis series, Paine began with the follow words: “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. 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: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”Like many of his contemporaries, Paine lays a monumental significance on the value, and consequently the immense cost of man’s liberty. He recognizes the horrors of warfare and the sacrifices many men would make for their country, but he reminds them that liberty is worth the ultimate human cost. They cannot be fickle. They cannot be volatile. The burning passion for freedom must be kindled and a firm resolution of the heart must be formed if we are to endure as a nation. With bloodshed though comes the promise of a glorious victory and a golden sunrise on the new nation if its resolve is honorable and true. The quotation from Paine reaches to the heart of the human condition—our fear of death, pain and failure—but then revives the patriotic passions within the readers by reminding them of the triumph of freedom. For contemporary American readers, Paine’s words serve to remind us of the cost of the freedoms we often take for granted; freedoms paid for with the blood of our forefathers. Their deaths, and the deaths of American soldiers throughout history, are what give our freedom its dearness and its value. Let us be ever vigilant to protect the liberties gained at so high a cost. Let us never forget the heart of American patriotism or the true price of our liberty.
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