ΤΟ GEORGE WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SIR, I PRESENT you a fmall Treatife in defence of those Principles of Freedom which your exemplary Virtue hath so eminently contributed to establish.—That the Rights of Man may become as univerfal as as your Benevolence can wish, and that you may enjoy the Happinefs of feeing the New World regenerate the Old, is the Prayer of SIR, Your much obliged, and Obedient humble Servant, THOMAS PAINE. TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. FRO ROM the part Mr. Burke took in the American Revolution, it was natural that I fhould confider him a friend to mankind; and as our acquaintance commenced on that ground, it would have been more agreeable to me to have had cause to continue in that opinion, than to change it. At the time Mr. Burke made his violent fpeech laft winter in the English Parliament against the French Revolution and the National Affembly, I was in Paris, and had written him, but a fhort time before, to inform him how profperously matters were going on. Soon after this, I faw his advertisement of the Pamphlet he intended to publifh: As the attack was to be made in a language but little ftudied, and lefs understood, in France, and as every thing fuffers by translation, I promised some of the friends of the Revolution in that country, that whenever Mr. Burke's Pamphlet came forth, I would would answer it. This appeared to me the more neceffary to be done, when I faw the flagrant mifrepresentations which Mr. Burke's Pamphlet contains; and that while it is an outrageous abuse on the French Revolution, and the principles of Liberty, it is an impofition on the reft of the world. I am the more aftonished and disappointed at this conduct in Mr. Burke, as (from the circumftance I am going to mention), I had formed other expectations. I had feen enough of the mifeires of war, to wifh it might never more have existence in the world, and that fome other mode might be found out to fettle the differences that fhould occafionally arife in the neighbourhood of nations. This certainly might be done if Courts were difpofed to fet honeftly about it, or if cours tries were enlightened enough not to be made the dupes of Courts. The people of America had been bred up in the fame prejudices against France, which at that time characterized the people of England; but experience and an acquaintance with the French Nation have most effe&tually shown to the Americans the falsehood of thofe prejudices; and I do not believe that a more cordial and confidential intercourfe exifts between any two countries than between America and France. When When I came to France in the Spring of 1787, the Archbishop of Thouloufe was then Minifter, and at that time highly efteemed. I became much acquainted with the private Secretary of that Minifter, a man of an enlar ged benevolent heart; and found, that his fentiments and my own perfectly agreed with refpect to the madness of war, and the wretched impolicy of two nations, like England and France, continually worrying each other, to no other end than that of a mutual increase of burdens and taxes. That I might be affured I had not mifunderstood him, nor he me, I put the fubftance of our opinions into writing, and fent it to him; fubjoining a requeft, that if I fhould fee among the people of England, any disposition to cultivate a better understanding between the two nations than had hitherto prevailed, how far I might be authorized to say that the fame difpofition prevailed on the part of France ? He anfwered me by letter in the most unreserved manner, and that not for himself only, but for the Minifter, with whofe knowledge the letter was declared to be written. I put this letter into the hands of Mr. Burke almoft three years ago, and left it with him, where it ftill remains; hoping, and at the fame time naturally expecting, from the opi nion |