Paine's letter to the Abbé Sieyès begins by giving Sieyès Paine's own short definition of Republicanism. The most important aspect of this definition for Paine is to be against the institution of monarchy. However, Paine makes it clear that he does not personally dislike kings, but rather opposes the institution of monarchy. As Paine writes, it is not against kings but "against all the hell of monarchy that I have declared war" (381).