What is the main purpose of the final sentence in the excerpt from Thomas Paine's Common Sense?

Should a thought so fatal and unmanly possess the Colonies in the present contest, the name of ancestors will be remembered by future generations with detestation.

to indicate that the American colonists can establish a better government than a monarchy
to appeal to the colonies to avoid any temporary resolution of their conflict with Great Britain
to justify the colonies' struggle for freedom from Great Britain
to dissuade some of his fellow colonists from supporting reconciliation with Great Britain
to caution his fellow colonists about the future risks of war the colonies may face

It seems to me that the main purpose of the final sentence in the excerpt from Thomas Paine's Common Sense is being shown in the first option from the scale represented above : A.to indicate that the American colonists can establish a better government than a monarchy. He was against the idea of monarchy and believed that American colony is strong enough to create something bigger.
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holesstanham holesstanham · Answer 2 · 2019-02-01T05:39:15+01:00

Answer: to dissuade some of his fellow colonists from supporting reconciliation with Great Britain.

In this sentence, Paine is telling us the consequences of considering reconciliation with Great Britain. He calls this a "fatal and unmanly" thought. Paine believes reconciliation to be useless, and independence to be the only way forward. He warns the colonists that if they decide to take that path, their name will be remembered and hated by future generations.