Thomas Paine writes about how everyone is created equal. Men and women are the distinctions of nature, the good and bad of heaven. He sounds disgusted when he thinks about how a race of men came into the world better than the rest. When in the early ages of the world there were no kings and no wars. Paine believes it is the pride of kings that confuse mankind. He states that Holland without a king enjoyed peace more than any of the monarchial governments in Europe. Paine thought government by kings was the greatest invention the Devil could ever fabricate. When he speaks about the Jews he speaks about their sins when they asked Gideon and Samuel to be their king. They wanted a king to rule over them, so they could be like all the other nations. Wanting someone to judge them, and go fight their battles. Both Gideon and Samuel told the Jews they will not be their king. Gideon stated that the Lord shall rule over you, and Samuel spoke to the Lord and asked the lord for rain and thunder. When the Lord sent rain and thunder the people were afraid of the Lord, stating “We have added unto our sins this evil, to ask a King”. Paine writes Monarchy is ranked in scripture as one of the sins of the Jews. Paine believes that hereditary succession is added to the evil of monarchy. He wrote “For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever, and though himself might deserve some decent degree of honors of his contemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them”. His second point against hereditary succession is that the ones that appoint the honor have no power to give the right to his child or child’s child. For that might in the next succession put them under the government of a fool. Paine believes hereditary succession concerns mankind. He states that men who are born to reign are selected from mankind and their minds are poisoned by importance, and they act different from the world at large. They have little opportunity of knowing the true interests of the world and when they succeed to the government they are the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions. Hereditary succession is also evil, for the throne can be taken by a minor at any age. Meaning it could be easy to betray the trust of the king. Paine writes hereditary succession is the most barefaced falsity ever imposed to mankind. In England thirty kings and two minors have reigned in that kingdom, in which there have been eight civil wars and nineteen rebellions. Monarchy and succession have laid blood and ashes all over the world. Thomas Paine states “The nearer any government approaches to a republic the less business for a king”. However, Metternich states that government measure seems to be inspired by fear.
Prince Metternich was the leading figure in European government up to 1848. He was the political master of the Austrian Empire and the architect of an alliance system among the European powers after Napoleon’s defeat. Metternich believed that society can no longer be saved by a government still free in their opinions and actions. He states that if they can just face the truth, free themselves from illusions, join their ranks and take their stand on a line of correct, clear, and freely announced principles. He believes by this course the monarchs will fulfill the duties imposed upon them. Metternich states that monarchs need to correct their false appearances, and show themselves as they are, fathers invested with the authority. They need to strip themselves of their appearances and show themselves as they truly are. Needing to prove that in days of mourning, they know how to be wise, strong, and they will not abandon the people. Metternich states that monarchs conform to the laws of man’s nature, and have like him, their infancy, youth, age of strength and reason, and their age of decay. He goes on to say that the first principle to be followed by the monarchs is they should maintain the stability of political institutions against the disorganized excitement which has taken possession of men’s minds, the unchangeable of principles against the madness of their interpretation, and respect for laws actually in force against a desire for their destruction. He believes they should give attention to the financial state of their kingdoms, be strong, but strict. Metternich states that they should let the monarchs strengthen their union, and ensure the political peace of Europe.
In reading these two articles, the article I found that made a stronger case for their point of view was Thomas Paine. I found his article to be very intriguing and full of information I knew nothing about. There were many facts to back up his opinion on being against the monarchy. In doing this paper it seemed that I could go on forever giving examples and facts that Paine had wrote in his article to prove his argument. I did find Metternich article to be interesting, however, I did have trouble understanding all of what he was saying. I found myself at times lost in his words not knowing who he was talking about and where he was going. I believe in today’s Western world Klemens von Metternich would feel more at home than Thomas Paine. Metternich believed that they should give attention to the financial state in their kingdoms, be strong but strict, maintain religious principles in all their purity, and not allow faith to be attacked by the social contract or visions. In today’s world I believe these are highly important and focused on in every county.
Now let’s look back on what we have learned. We were able to see how two different men feel about monarchy and why they thought it was good or bad. We know now that Thomas Paine thought monarchy was created from the Devil himself. How people in the early ages of the world were happy. There were no kings and no wars. He believed everyone was created equal, and had a hard time understanding how a race of men came into this world better than others. He spoke of hereditary succession as the evil of monarchy, and how can someone set up his own family’s future as reign. For their descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them, and cause the government to be ruled by a fool. Now looking at Klemens von Metternich who agreed for monarchy,
Metternich stated that government measure seems to be inspired by fear. He stated that monarchs should give attention to their financial state, be strong, yet strict, and let the monarchs strengthen their union, and ensure the political peace of Europe.