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Good writing
This is an excerpt from a book set right before the Revolutionary War.
"For what will we fight?"
"To free Boston from these infernal redcoats and-"
"No. THat's not enough reason for going into a war. Did any occupied city ever have better treatment than we've had from the British? Has one rebellious newspaper been stopped- one treasonable speech? Where are the firing squads, the jails jammed with political prisoners? What about the gallows for you, Sam Adams, and you, John Hancock? It has never been set up. I hate those infernal British troops spread about my town just as much as you do. Can't move these days without stepping on a soldier. But we are not going off into a civil war merely to get them out of Boston. Why are we going to fight? Why, why?"
"We will fight for the rights of the Americans. Englad cannot take our money away by taxes."
"No, no. For something more imprtant than the pocket books of our American citizens."
"For the rights of Englishmen- everywhere."
"Why stop with the Englishman? For men and women and children all over the world. You were right, you tall dark boy, for even as we shoot down the British soldiers, we are fighting for rights such as they will be enjoying a hundred years from now.
"There shall be no more tyranny. A handful of men cannot seize power over thousands. A man shall choose who it is shall rule over him.
"The peasons of France, the serfs of Russia. Hardly more than animals now. But because we fight, they shall see freedom like a new sun rising in the west. The natural rights God has given every man, no matter how humble, or crazy.
"The battle we win over the worst in England shall benefit the best in Engald. How well are they over there represented when it comes to taxes? Not very well. It will be better for them when we have won this war.
"Will French peasants go on forever pulling off their hats and saying, 'Oui, Monsieur', when the gold coaches run them over? They will not. Italy. And all those German states. Are they nothing but soldiers? WIll no one show them the rights of good citizens? So we hold up our torch- and d on forget that it was lighted upon the fires of England- and we will set it as a new sun to lighten a world."
"We are lucky men, for we have a cause worth dying for. THis honor is not give to every generation."
"They say my wits left me after I got hit on my head by that custom's official. That's what you think, eh, Mr. Sam Adams?"
"Oh, no, no, indeed."
"Some of us will give our wits, some of us our property. Heh, Mr. John Hancock, did you hear that? Property- that hurts, eh? To give one's silver wome coolers, one's coach and four, and the gold buttons off one's s[rogged satin waist coats?"
"I am ready. I can get along without all that."
"You, Paul Rever, you'll give up that silvercraft you love? God made you to make silver, not war."
"There's a time for the casting of silver, and a time for the casting of cannon. If that's not in the Bible, it should be."
"Doctor Warren, you've a young family. You know quite well, if you are killed, they may literally starve."
"I've thought of all that long ago."
"And you, John Adams. You've built up a very nice law practice, stealing away my clients, I notice. Ah, well, so it goes. Each shall give according to his own abilties- and some- some will give their lives. All the years of their maturity. All the children they never live to have. THe serenity of old age. To die so young is more than merely dying; it is to lose so large a part of life.
"Even you, my old frined- my old enemy? How shall I call you, Sam Adams? Even you will give the best you have- a genius for polotics. Oh, go to Philadelphia! Pull all the wool, pull all the strings, and all the wires. Yes, go, go! And God go with you. We need you, Sam. We must fight this war. You'll play your part- but what it is really about... you'll never know. It is all so much simpler than you think.; We give all we have, lives, property, safety, skills... we fight, se die, for a simple thing. Only that a man can stand up."
"I had not thought of it that way before. You know my father had to fly France because of the tyranny over there. He was only a child. But now, in a way, I'm fighting for that child... that no frightened or lost child ever is sent out a refugee from his own country because of race or religon."
Damn, that's good writing. I wish that I could write like that.
"For what will we fight?"
"To free Boston from these infernal redcoats and-"
"No. THat's not enough reason for going into a war. Did any occupied city ever have better treatment than we've had from the British? Has one rebellious newspaper been stopped- one treasonable speech? Where are the firing squads, the jails jammed with political prisoners? What about the gallows for you, Sam Adams, and you, John Hancock? It has never been set up. I hate those infernal British troops spread about my town just as much as you do. Can't move these days without stepping on a soldier. But we are not going off into a civil war merely to get them out of Boston. Why are we going to fight? Why, why?"
"We will fight for the rights of the Americans. Englad cannot take our money away by taxes."
"No, no. For something more imprtant than the pocket books of our American citizens."
"For the rights of Englishmen- everywhere."
"Why stop with the Englishman? For men and women and children all over the world. You were right, you tall dark boy, for even as we shoot down the British soldiers, we are fighting for rights such as they will be enjoying a hundred years from now.
"There shall be no more tyranny. A handful of men cannot seize power over thousands. A man shall choose who it is shall rule over him.
"The peasons of France, the serfs of Russia. Hardly more than animals now. But because we fight, they shall see freedom like a new sun rising in the west. The natural rights God has given every man, no matter how humble, or crazy.
"The battle we win over the worst in England shall benefit the best in Engald. How well are they over there represented when it comes to taxes? Not very well. It will be better for them when we have won this war.
"Will French peasants go on forever pulling off their hats and saying, 'Oui, Monsieur', when the gold coaches run them over? They will not. Italy. And all those German states. Are they nothing but soldiers? WIll no one show them the rights of good citizens? So we hold up our torch- and d on forget that it was lighted upon the fires of England- and we will set it as a new sun to lighten a world."
"We are lucky men, for we have a cause worth dying for. THis honor is not give to every generation."
"They say my wits left me after I got hit on my head by that custom's official. That's what you think, eh, Mr. Sam Adams?"
"Oh, no, no, indeed."
"Some of us will give our wits, some of us our property. Heh, Mr. John Hancock, did you hear that? Property- that hurts, eh? To give one's silver wome coolers, one's coach and four, and the gold buttons off one's s[rogged satin waist coats?"
"I am ready. I can get along without all that."
"You, Paul Rever, you'll give up that silvercraft you love? God made you to make silver, not war."
"There's a time for the casting of silver, and a time for the casting of cannon. If that's not in the Bible, it should be."
"Doctor Warren, you've a young family. You know quite well, if you are killed, they may literally starve."
"I've thought of all that long ago."
"And you, John Adams. You've built up a very nice law practice, stealing away my clients, I notice. Ah, well, so it goes. Each shall give according to his own abilties- and some- some will give their lives. All the years of their maturity. All the children they never live to have. THe serenity of old age. To die so young is more than merely dying; it is to lose so large a part of life.
"Even you, my old frined- my old enemy? How shall I call you, Sam Adams? Even you will give the best you have- a genius for polotics. Oh, go to Philadelphia! Pull all the wool, pull all the strings, and all the wires. Yes, go, go! And God go with you. We need you, Sam. We must fight this war. You'll play your part- but what it is really about... you'll never know. It is all so much simpler than you think.; We give all we have, lives, property, safety, skills... we fight, se die, for a simple thing. Only that a man can stand up."
"I had not thought of it that way before. You know my father had to fly France because of the tyranny over there. He was only a child. But now, in a way, I'm fighting for that child... that no frightened or lost child ever is sent out a refugee from his own country because of race or religon."
Damn, that's good writing. I wish that I could write like that.