What does for though the flame of liberty sometimes cease to shine the coal can never expire mean?

Answer 1

I've written on T. Paine some, so hopefully this is a somewhat credible answer...The quote is from his paper "American Crisis #1" and represents the quest for American independence. During the time, Washington had lost a key battle of the revolution and both moral and volunteers were low. Paine's statement is a testament to the will of the American people and the metaphorical flame is the heart of the American continent.By this reading of the quote, it stands to mean that "though the freedom of America may seem to be in jeopardy, freedom can never be relinquished"

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Hello, I am another person. I don't want to erase the last person's answer, though because it is good and very useful.Since someone on the discussion page asked for it in someone's own words, I decided to add to the answer.In my own words, it means that even though sometimes our liberty and freedom might not seem to beat its peak, it can never be completely destroyed.The quote compares Freedom to a fire. Even though the fire may die down, the coals are never unusable.