The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-08-17


and the dying Englisbman pours bic medicine,
which has paid seven per cent. into a spoon
that has paid fifteen per cent; hings himself
back upon bis chintz bed, which has paid
twenty-five per cent; and expires in the arms
Of his apolhecary, who had paid a license ola
hundred pounds for the privilege ofpntting him
70 DEATH His whole property Is then imme-
diately taxed from twoto ten per cent. Be.
sides the probate, large fees are demanded for
burying him IN The chancel bis virtues are
handed down 10 posterity on taxed marble; and
he is then gathered to bic fathers, to be taxed
no more"
THOMAS PAYNE AND THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION.
Woextnct the following from an article in
the North American Review, on the Life and
services Of Thomas Paine.
"Chafles the First had trial before the on
ly'Peers that can try hthless monarch, his
own offended eountrymen. The French Con-
vention was a mob on a small scale. Eng
lishmen sat as jurors to try the English King.
The French inquest was a sort Of tales, not
even de circumsiaHilbus, not Of the body ofthe
country. Judges were summoned from abroad
like Paine. Anacharsis Clooiz, and others,
and made citizens for the nonce and by whole
sale naturalization, il not citizens by mere
force of republican sympalhies.
@On the test vote in the Convention, Paine's
voice for mercy, and what he calls his speech
in favor Of Punishment TO the United States IS
preserved in bis printed works. What a dis
maj scene was that Of the night session Of the
18th Of January 1922, and what thoughts must
have crowded into the mind Of Paine as, with
the fresh recOlleciions Of the past, be looked
around Tim Il was the same Paris, whittier
he had Est come some eleven years before to
invoke sympathy for America, and where he
had been so warmly welcomed. Before him,
during the days Of the trial, sat The monarch
who generously supplied the aid America had
solicited, now attained and about to be sacri-
feed. Where was the brilliant court which
Laurens had importuned where the white
flag which had foated before the entrench.
ments Of Horkiown--where Lafayette the
Lamoites, Chastelleux, Rochambeau, DIES
taing, DegTassel All gone TO death or ban
ishments the scene was changed there were
new actors and a bloody ceremonial. Seven
hundred and ioriy-nme judges were utteTing
the words Of doom on innocence. During al
this dreaduTy continued. There was 10 be.
heard the hoaTEe emphatic tones Of the Jacob
m remonely pTonouncing his bloody opinion
the hesilating whisper Of ihe Girondist, taking
eteuolwo upon bis soul for false Judgment :
the esass phrese' Of Paine'5 friend and fellow
constitution monger; The doubling vote Of bau-
shment on Paine'a lipl, followed BY execra-
lions and sneers from these who had imported
him for sterner uses; and, last and worst Of all,
the hollow voice Of napostate Prince decree
ing death 70 one whose blood was kindred to
bis own: al these in quick succession were
ihe Incidents Of that night and day; and yet
Paine lived through Il, and meditated on il ar
forwards without remorse, or without any
thought but that this was the rightful effect d
theories that we.e destined 10 triumph and
though he shrunk from being himself the
butcher, hecould in hH Old age look back up
on the bloody actors IN these scenes and
praise them as the wise and good.
sPaine was soon 10 taste Of the poisoned
cup ofrev0lutiouary excess and bis subsequent
career affords q curious comment on his usuF.
ped functions of citizen Judge. lie was, as
we have stated, nalaraized, OF, in n. Theirs
phrase, selected citizen" on bis arrival in
France, and qualified By this process to take
his seat in the Convention. He was then
made one Of the philosophic trumvrate with
Sieyes and Condorcet, to prepare the plan Of
constitution. Anschafsis Clo0tz and himself
were the only two transmitted foreigners in
the Convention. On the fal Of the GiFonde,
10 order probably to get rid Of them, decree
was passed expeIlng al who we're not natives
Of France. The next day, BY natural tran
sition, they found their way to the cells OF the
Luxembourg. The next step was to a revo-
lutionafv distinction to which Paine did not
aspire, and, il bis reasonable terror at the
thought 5of death, he applied to Gouverneur
Morris to obtain bis release as an American
citizen. But, with the honors OF French citi-
zenship, be had assumed It's responsibilities,
and the Minister Of Justice very peremptorlY
replied to this effect to Mr.. Morris's interces-
sion. Inl vainl did Paine argue in favor Of IN
defeasible allegiance; in vain did be assert that,
having once become an American citizen, be
could not Be renowned as such; The logic was
too subtle for Robesperre and Fouquier Tn
vile. and could not unlock The PRISON doors.
Besides, if allegiance were thus inahenable,
England had a sort Of presumption right in
binl for within her realm he bad been born,
aud AlliLNEA nc AaN AAel tAtAAAsH-t-
For eleven months, throughout the whole
Reign Of Terror, did he remain prisoner N
the Luxembourg.
aHow he escaped the wholesale iudiscFimi-
nate slaughter Of that awful period has never
been precisely ascertained. Mr.. Morris atiri-
bules il to the contempt into which he bad
sunk. and Paine accounts for il BY the mistake
made by The Tailor in marking the cells Of ne
condemned; mistake which could scarcely
have occurred unless the iailer was IS drunk
a. the prisoner generally was. HeFault de
Sechelles, Anacharsis Cloolz, and Lebon Of
Atras, his immediate companions IN captivity,
went, one after another, to the gmlioune.--
One hundred and sixty in one day and night
were taken from tho Luxembourg and con
demed vet the destroying angel passed By
him. he escaped ill the revolution Of the
Old Tbermidor, and the fall Of kobesplere,
when tho prisons were opened, and Paine,
a,isb a few other survivors, worn cut with
disease and distress Of mind and bodys vas set
al liberty"