It Is Natural To Man To Indulge

I Believe A Time Will Come When An Opportunity Will Be Offered To Abolish This Lamentable Evil. Everything We Do Is To Improve It, If It Happens In Our Day; If Not, Let Us Transmit To Our Descendants, Together With Our Slaves, A Pity For Their Unhappy Lot And An Abhorrence Of Slavery.

Have We The Means Of Resisting Disciplined Armies, When Our Only Defense, The Militia, Is Put In The Hands Of Congress? Of What Service Would Militia Be To You When, Most Probably, You Will Not Have A Single Musket In The State? For, As Arms Are To Be Provided By Congress, They May Or May Not Provide Them.

The Battle Is Not To The Strong Alone. It Is To The Vigilant, The Active, And The Brave. A Small, Disciplined Militia Can Not Only Hold Out Against A Larger Force, But Drive It Back, Because What They're Fighting For Rightfully Belongs To Them.

Suffer Not Yourselves To Be Betrayed With A Kiss. Ask Yourselves How This Gracious Reception Of Our Petition Comports With Those Warlike Preparations Which Cover Our Waters And Darken Our Land. Are Fleets And Armies Necessary To A Work Of Love And Reconciliation? Have We Shown Ourselves So Unwilling To Be Reconciled, That Force Must Be Called In To Win Back Our Love? Let Us Not Deceive Ourselves, Sir. These Are The Implements Of War And Subjugationthe Last Arguments To Which Kings Resort.

Be Of Good Courage, My Son, And Remember That The Best Men Always Make Themselves.