No Gains Without Pains.

My Dear Friend, Do Not Imagine That I Am Vain Enough To Ascribe Our Success [revolution] To Any Superiority . . . If It Had Not Been For The Justice Of Our Cause, And The Consequent Interposition Of Providence, In Which We Had Faith, We Must Have Been Ruined. If I Had Ever Before Been An Atheist, I Should Now Have Been Convinced Of The Being And Government Of A Deity!

I Resolve To Speak Ill Of No Man Whatever, Not Even In A Matter Of Truth; But Rather By Some Means Excuse The Faults I Hear Charged Upon Others, And Upon Proper Occasions Speak All The Good I Know Of Everybody.

There Is Scarce A King In A Hundred Who Would Not, If He Could, Follow The Example Of Pharoah - Get First All The People's Money, Then All Their Lands, And Then Make Them And Their Children Servants Forever.

In These Sentiments, Sir, I Agree To This Constitution, With All Its Faults, If They Are Such; Because I Think A General Government Necessary For Us, And There Is No Form Of Government, But What May Be A Blessing To The People If Well Administered; And Believe Further, That This Is Likely To Be Well Administered For A Course Of Years, And Can Only End In Despotism, As Other Forms Have Done Before It, When The People Shall Become So Corrupted As To Need Despotic Government, Being Incapable Of Any Other.

I Guess I Don't So Much Mind Being Old, As I Mind Being Fat And Old.