No country on the globe is so happily situated, or so internally capable of raising a fleet as america. tar, timber, iron, and cordage are her natural produce. we need go abroad for nothing. which is the most prominent kind of rhetorical appeal thomas paine uses here?

I don't know if this is a multiple choice question or not, but I would argue that the rhetorical appeal that Thomas Paine is using here is pathos. In order to persuade their readers, authors use three different tools known as "rhetorical appeals." One of them, logos, uses factual information and a clear logic in order to appeal to the reader and convince him of his argument. Another one, ethos, persuades the reader by stressing the credibility and authority of the author as an expert on the topic. Finally, a third one called pathos attempts to convince the reader by resorting to emotions or values.  

In this excerpt, Paine is referring to America almost as a person - she is "happily situated" and "internally capable." This immediately captivates and engages the reader. He then goes on listing the natural resources that she produces, and concludes very bluntly by saying that there is no need to import goods from other nations (or to go abroad in order to get them), since America is a self-sufficient country. He is therefore promoting the emotions of faith and trust, and is encouraging their readers, fellow Americans, to believe in the capability and superiority of their homeland.

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- the heat nearly killed them that first summer.