Question

guided practice read the passage from the crisis. there are persons too who see not the full extent of the evil that threatens them; they solace themselves with hopes that the enemy, if they succeed, will be merciful. it is the madness of folly to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war. the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf; and we ought to guard equally against both. what is thomas paine’s main point in this passage? a. england will trick the colonists into war by refusing to be merciful. b. colonists need to rely on their cleverness rather than their strength. c. it is better to plead with the enemy and await their mercy than to fight. d. you cannot expect mercy from one who has just conquered you.

Explanation:

The passage states that expecting mercy from those who seek conquest (and refused justice) is "madness of folly", and frames enemy mercy as a trick of war. This directly aligns with the idea that mercy cannot be expected from a conquering force. The other options are incorrect: A misrepresents the passage's framing of mercy as a trick, not England's specific tactic to start war; B is not mentioned (the passage references guarding against both cunning and violence, not relying on cleverness over strength); C contradicts the text, which argues against waiting for mercy.

Answer:

D. You cannot expect mercy from one who has just conquered you.