The American Crisis | Page 4

The author's notes are preceded by a "*". ]
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THE WRITINGS
OF
THOMAS PAINE
COLLECTED AND EDITED BY
MONCURE DANIEL CONWAY
VOLUME I.
1774 - 1779
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XIX.
THE AMERICAN CRISIS
Table of Contents
Editor's Preface
The Crisis No. I
The Crisis No. II - To Lord Howe
The Crisis No. III
The Crisis No. IV
The Crisis No. V - To General Sir William Howe - To The Inhabitants Of America
The Crisis No. VI - To The Earl Of Carlisle, General Clinton, And William Eden, ESQ.,
British Commissioners At New York
The Crisis No. VII - To The People Of England
The Crisis No. VIII - Addressed To The People Of England
The Crisis No. IX - The Crisis Extraordinary - On the Subject of Taxation
The Crisis No. X - On The King Of England's Speech - To The People Of America
The Crisis No. XI - On The Present State Of News - A Supernumerary Crisis (To Sir Guy
Carleton.)
The Crisis No. XII - To The Earl Of Shelburne
The Crisis No. XIII - On The Peace, And The Probable Advantages Thereof
A Supernumerary Crisis - (To The People Of America)
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THE AMERICAN CRISIS.
EDITOR'S PREFACE.
THOMAS PAINE, in his Will, speaks of this work as The American Crisis, remembering
perhaps that a number of political pamphlets had appeared in London, 1775-1776, under
general title of " The Crisis." By the blunder of an early English publisher of Paine's
writings, one essay in the London " Crisis " was attributed to Paine, and the error has

continued to cause confusion. This publisher was D. I. Eaton, who printed as the first
number of Paine's " Crisis " an essay taken from the London publication. But his
prefatory note says: " Since the printing of this book, the publisher is informed that No. 1,
or first Crisis in this publication, is not one of the thirteen which Paine wrote, but a letter
previous to them." Unfortunately this correction is sufficiently equivocal to leave on
some minds the notion that Paine did write the letter in question, albeit not as a number of
his " Crisis " ; especially as Eaton's editor unwarrantably appended the signature " C. S.,"
suggesting " Common Sense." There are, however, no such letters in the London essay,
which is signed " Casca." It was published August , 1775, in the form of a letter to
General Gage, in answer to his Proclamation concerning the affair at Lexington. It was
certainly not written by Paine. It apologizes for the Americans for having, on April I9, at
Lexington, made " an attack upon the King's troops from behind walls and lurking holes."
The writer asks : " Have not the Americans been driven to this frenzy? Is it not common
for an enemy to take every advantage ? " Paine, who was in America when the affair
occurred at Lexington, would have promptly denounced Gage's story as a falsehood, but
the facts known to every one in America were as yet not before the London writer. The
English " Crisis " bears evidence throughout of having been written in London. It derived
nothing from Paine, and he derived nothing from it, unless its title, and this is too obvious
for its origin to require discussion. I have no doubt, however, that the title was suggested
by the English publication, because Paine has followed its scheme in introducing a "
Crisis Extraordinary." His work consists of thirteen numbers, and, in addition to these, a "
Crisis Extraordinary "and a " Supernumerary Crisis." In some modern collections all of
these have been serially numbered, and a brief newspaper article added, making sixteen
numbers. But Paine, in his Will, speaks of the number as thirteen, wishing perhaps, in his
characteristic way, to adhere to the number of the American Colonies, as he did in the
thirteen ribs of his iron bridge. His enumeration is therefore followed in the present
volume, and the numbers printed successively, although other writings intervened.
The first " Crisis " was printed in the Pennsylvania Journal, December 19, 1776, and
opens with the famous sentence, " These are the times that try men's souls"; the last "
Crisis "appeared April 19,1783, (eighth anniversary of the first gun of the war, at
Lexington,) and opens with the words, " The times that tried men's souls are over." The
great effect produced by Paine's successive publications has been attested by Washington
and Franklin, by every leader of the American Revolution, by resolutions of Congress,
and by every contemporary historian of the events amid which they were written. The
first " Crisis " is of especial historical interest. It was written during the retreat of
Washington across the Delaware, and by order of the