Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-12-06
Fysss RE (RicSmoso'1 RECORDS.
N1R. THOMAS PAINE

PoTtant intelligence OF his arrival IN this
country, in fyf letter 10 tie people Of A.
'merics. The piece is dif;nguifhed hy
that boldDeis, promp,itade and inpetuoi,-
~ OF itile, which often nark the cempoti-
tions OF this writer. Having GRATED the
itie, our .encomium is ar an end. I hfee
tonrths of the letter are taken up with Mr..
Paine himfelf. The congasger Of Italy,
OF Germany, and OF Egypt, wiler dittar-
ing his orders 10 the pirate OF Anglers,
does nos ipeak with ono ten.h part Of the
Acknowledgements, thar is here a{umsd BY
the hireling, or the volunteer OF Thomas
JeHcfiop. His name, for whatever rea-
loo, is held in general detettstion. Yet
this man addreaes the people Of America
with the hautineis Of an offended divinity,
laundering vengeance & deG.uttion thfo'
the battles of Homer. We conGder the
whole performance rs more than half an
infuit upon the country. When Cicero
ruag through all the changes of cgoiifn as
10 Catsline's coaipiracy, when Derloit
henes, in court Of jufice, boaAed Of the
greatnels of his public feryices, each ora
tor was extremely careful to fatter the
feelings OF isaudisnee. Cicero is always
reminding the Romans thar they are the
matters OF mankind and TIE Greek ajlares
his couatrymen, that amida all their fol
lies, and all their dilgraces, they are the
mott eloquent, the mott generous, and tie
brave& people upon earth. They pgaIfe
themieiyes, TO be iure, in the highett
terms. But their audience had been art
fully prepared for the endurance of this
praile. Overwhelmed by luminous buif
OF thought, the mind bends under the
grafp OF their eloquence while venerati-
on and gratitude for The artia forbid US
10 queaion the jufise Of the likenefs.
But, in Mr.. Paine, we find nothing Of
all this. When be is to ipeak about him
:slf, he always fa.'ss below himfelf. The
boaiter neither gIides upon your confidence
with the fweetoeis of Cicero, nor forms
your conviction with the grandeur of De-
moihenes. Ii is the groGeit and mott
vulgar vanity, Tripping itfelf naked, and
itrutting on tip-toe round fage Of its
own erection. Mr.. Paine affects to def
pfc newspapers; and, as an avenue 10 pub
lie notice, he has cho!en one of the mott
delpicable. Fie lay that his arrival has
alarmed the federals. 1t has at leaf alarm
ed and difgufed an immenie number of re-
publicans. / fhall examine the fats and
principles that Mr.. Paine has ailerseo and
aHumad. As for his biography, and "his
lorie button.' / wish to have no con-
Germ with the one or the other.
/ PATS over long ran,ing extFaa of
former letter, that Mr.. Paine gives US, &
which contains nothing but noife. For
thirteen years, he had fufpeaed that " the
" principles Of the revolution were expir-
g Ing on The foil shat produced them"
F" now" ays he, " know from the in
q formation obtain upox tbe -Lpof, that
IS The imprefions that then difreiled me,
g for was proud of America, were but
g too well founded. She was turning
g her back on her own glory, and making
& haffy itrides in the retrcgrade path OF
/" oblivion. But fpark from the Altar
/" of SEVENTY SIX, unextinguiihed
g and unexiinguilhable through that long
6 night oferror, is gain Lighting up, In
IS every part of the union, the genuine
Is fame Of rational liberty
Whsn Mr.. Paine wrote this letteT, he
had fcarcely been ten daysin the country.
he had been iurrounded by the preiident
and other leaders Of that party They
had told hin whatever they thought pro-
per. But Mr.. Paine might have known
that, after fifteen years of abfence from
America, he could not, IL fen Digs, be-
couse matser of her intervening hiitory.
The 9uencg OH adertions may excite
= L ,.aj laos a,,d oreriDY