American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-03-02

Tom PAINE, THE INr,DEL. Wm. Is. Reed
Esq, recently delivered an eloquent lee
ture before tho Mercantile Library Asso.
citation of Philadelphia, upon the 'T.ife and
Tines of Tom Paine, the Infdel, of which the
Inquirer gives the following interesting sketch
"Thomas Paine was a citizen of the world
and of course alien to every part of it, Born in
Great Britain, he was an exile and an outlaw.
NaturaIlZed IN America, he renounced her mo-
derate republlCansm, for the cYaggerations Of
French democracy a citizen of France, he
became er-o0icio an inmate of the COaciergeric;
and was glad, not grateful, TO escape with a
head upon his shoulders. Buried in an Ame-
Ticon village, the grave was violated, and the
bones OF the restless cOsmopollte were eXhumed
aud carried abroad, in solemn mockerY of the
relics OF holy mon Of old. Mr.. Reed proceed
ed, without derogaling from the actual value
of Palne'a services during the revolution, to
define and mark their worth, and 10 correct the
notion " hich ia life he was so anxious 10 cul-
tivate, that he was by common consent regard
ed as a great bcnclactor to America. Thomas
Paine, the child of humble though reputable
parents, was bora at Thetford, in The county of
Norfolk, England, in 1891. His father WAS
member Of the Society Of Friends, and his mo-
ther was an EpisCOpaian. According to his
own story, Paine was an iniidel in the nursery.
MIR. Reed alluded TO this statement of the de-
ceased, as given IN his "Age Of Reason" and
commented upon it in truly beautiful strain.
The old man Of sixty, he said (for such he was
when these sad words were written) travelling
back in memory to the hours of infancy, and
persuading himself at the age of seven years
that he was reasoning infdel. The boy stand
ing upon the garden steps, with the flowers
and singing birds around him; with the sound
of familiar prayer in his ears, seriously reflect
ing on thoughts of basphemy. And fifty years
afterwards, the childless, l!endless man, who
never knew the soilenng influence of domes-
tic relations, amid scenes Of blood and carnage,
at which even his heart, bold as it was, would
sicken-for he wrote his Age of Reason in the
midst of the Reign Of TeTor-boastiuIly re-
corded his persevering obdurate sceptIcism Of
all in Gods written word, which could not be
comprised either by his childish or his matured
intelligence.
On the fall of Robcspierrc, when the prisons
were opened, Paine, with few other suTvi-
vors, worn ont with distress Of mind and DIS
ease Of body, was set at liberty. Soon after
he published the second part Of bis Age Of
Reason, the bIasphemies Of which, said Mr.
IhtGN, are tHOUuiI 10 SlChth lUb liHIIL. DuDSS-
quently, in 1902, Paine returned to the United
States He at last took refuge on his farm
near New Rochelle, where he fingered in Oh
SECURITY until his death, in 1909, at the Bga Of
sevonty-tWO.
Abiding to his death-bod scene, Mr.. Reed
closed his lecture in the most impressive man
ner, Paine dreaded being left alone, OF being
left in darkness, and screamed Ike terrified
| ol,i1I Car his nd ibe lOht IIn inaist ed
on his nurse reading aloud; but it was not so
much in order to take solace from what she
read as to be satisfied by the sound Of her
voice, that she was at hand. About ten years
after Paine'S death, Goblet made a pIlgri-
mage to New Rochelle, disinterred the mould
erng bones, and removed them TO Great Bi-
tain. 1t was, said Mr.. Reed, piece of indie
cent and Intellectual mockery. The bones of
the scof1er were looked on by such of the Bri-
| fish people as knew anything about them,
with no more regard than the anatomical stu
dent bestowed on the unknown carcase before
him. And thus ended the story of ono who
was endowed with abilities that might have
! made an impression on the world, and have
| left a memorable tIace behind him-an actor
in scenes of commanding mtereSt-a patriot in
certain though narrow sense-but Withal,
| inhrm in the only high purpose which consc-
| Grated man y career on earth, and poor in the
aspiration which alone dignfed humanity
the aspiration for reward which the "wurd
neither gives nor takes away, the minghuG
of the highest human qualtles-the love of
virtue and of truth, with a meek and humble
sense of the power with which God had en-
dowed US, and the love Of freedom, with a de-
cent reverence for authority and example,
which constitute the perfection of human cha
acter--that of the conservative and Christian
patriot.
! PRESENCE OF MIND. A boy returning home
from Montreal, with the price of pair of oxen,
was lately accosted by highwayman, who
presented pistols, with the usual order, ''stand
and deliver" The boy becoming alarmed
pulled from his pocket the purse containing the
money, which fortunately dropped on the road;
the robber Immediately jumped out of his
sleigh, which was then some yards in advance
of the purse, and ran back for his longed-tor
treasure, when the boy, with great presence OF
mind, took hold Of the reins, and drove oft as
fast as lie could, with both horses and sleigh.
The Iobber then fired his pistol, the contents OF
which passed through the back of the sleigh
and between the boys legs. The boy reached
home in safety, and after examining the sleigh,
| found in the box Of it, which was locked, the
sum of three thousand francs.
CosT OF SHIPS or WAR. We learn the
following facts from a report submitted to Con-
gross last week by the Secretary Of the Navy
The ship New York was commenced in 1920,
and it is estimated it will take S205, 900 to
launch her, and 100000 to equip her for sea.
The st. Lawrence was commenced in 1926; it
will take $4,000 to launch her, and about
$4,000 to send her to sea. OF ships of the
line, the Ohio was commenced in 1917, and
launched in 1920; the Delaware was common
ced in 1917, and launched in October, 1921;
the Pennsylvania was commenced in 1921, and
launched in 1897 Of frirafes the Columbia