* "There are cases which justify a people in taking up arms and resisting government." This implies that war is only justifiable when it is defensive and serves to protect the people from tyranny or oppression.
* "The object of self-defense is not to injure the enemy, but to secure ourselves." This further emphasizes the defensive nature of a just war, suggesting that the ultimate goal should be preservation, not aggression.
* "The means are to be judged by their end." This principle can be interpreted as suggesting that even in war, the means must be morally justified and consistent with the ultimate goal of protecting freedom.
Thus, while not explicitly stated, Paine's final paragraph strongly implies that he believed offensive wars, waged for conquest or expansion, were not justifiable. He advocated for war only as a last resort in self-defense, emphasizing the importance of moral justification and limiting the goals of war to the preservation of freedom and security.