IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS - QUOTES AND ANALYSIS (continued)

It seems that the confusion is the main reason the colonists and British keep battling each other on this day. However, that is misleading, there is a purpose at work. Telling Adam that they cannot stop fighting the British, Cousin Simmons explains:

"Good heavens, Adam, we declared ourselves. There just is no stronger declaration of a man's purpose than to take a gun and shoot someone dead."

"But they shot us first." "That's an argument, Adam, and we're past arguments. Gun shooting is a declaration, not an argument. Nobody's going to be calm and reasonable about who shot first. There's been too much shooting already to ever trace our way back. Now we're enemies until one side or another wins its purpose. If we were to back off now they'd come with their gallows rope and hang up maybe a hundred, maybe a thousand, maybe ten thousand. We'd never sleep a peaceful night again - not ever again, no sir."

"Then when will it end?" "When will it end, Adam? I'll tell you when it will end - when we drive them back into their ships, and when their ships sail away from here and leave us in peace in our own land. Not until then."

"You're talking about a time. Maybe years of time," I said wearily. "Maybe years of time, Adam. That's true." (145-146)

The enormity of what they've done by engaging in battle is pressed hard on Adam by Cousin Joseph. Notice how it begins with...........

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