The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-01
The Celebration of the BIrth-day Of Tn 'mas
Paine,


Paine.
meeting held at the Miaerya Roons, on
Sunday evening, January 30, iSis, Tor tne Pui-
pose of celebrating the birthday OF Inomas
PANE Mr. Allen, of this clty, addressed the
company present as follows -
II has been the prsatics since the the
mept Of civilization TO keep in srestfu remembrance
thu psrsons Of the great and good either by nscrbing
their names upon lasting monuments, or by each re-
turning anniversary in soae public manner to testify
respect for the departed This Is right This Is asst
shoud be- for tbsre is longing desire In the mind OF
every to live in history, song or In the hearts OF
tbir ntryn CO. after breath shall have left their
most e,r and their bodies coveted with the cold cods
of the valley and they sleeping with the silent dead
And what bettor calculated TO inspire laudabie ao
tiau in youth what is better conceived to encourage
aud the hopes Of enterprise than to see respect
paid TO the memory Of departed worth VINO woula
esak reputation In the cannons mouth or who consent
to the torrent of public opinion or who TO
face the ptiless pengs of an ungratefui world tnen
name their memory and their body to sink into the
grave together Trus 1t Is that no splendid monument
has to tbs memory OF the man for whom we
have met here to show our regard out equally true
IT, in the heart Of every gsoerops American ives
the name Of Thomas Paine. Saying notning ABOUT
bis religious opinionsso his theological wrtipgs ni'
political opinions and thu bold and manly stand hs
took against monarchy, and the divine right OF
kin In the days that tried mems souls entide him
not only to peoples gratitu but to nations glory
X nay well be- said of him that he achieved that with
the pan that could not have been achieved with the
ssora Ia the gloomy times OF the revolution wnsn .ns
upon all, when :oreboding Of despair appeared TO
s6rond hopes and the heavens Of rty we're hung
with blsck tasn IL that the services OF Thomas
Paine were needed aud then it was that Thomas Paine
undertook the mighty task of restraining the fears res
tong hopes ana sweeping away tins clouds OF gloom
ihat huae @ysr the land Then it that his Crisis
appeared In which hs talked like man, but no reason
I'D like a philosopher. With achildlike simplicity, but
with giant strength he made sue pathetic appeals as
could aot bs resisted and from Maine to Georgia. the
shout went up. $50 arms" aut echo cried to arms 60
arms Aud the people, inspired with ardor not their
cwp rushed Co battle and most brilliant victories fol
10 we'd, and nation freed from foreign thraidom was
the glorious result MIR Erskine, in speaking upon
ths subject of the American revolution, Says
4" In Inst great and oalamitous conflict, Edmund
Burke and Thomas Paine fought in the same field of
reason together; bat with very different success Mr.
Burke spoke to Parliament in England such as Sir
sorrs slve describes it, having ears but for sounds
that battered its corruptions Mr. Paine tbs other
hand epoke to peope-reasoned With them-tcld them
that they bound by subsection ia any sovereign
ty far.her thaa their benefit connected them; ana
y these argume ats prepared the minds OF the
American people for That glorious and happy revo
luton Thomss Paine most emphatcslly self made
map; and as general rule, every gteae man oi tne
world self made for he that cannot make himself cannot
stand after he is made by others Perhaps there never
was wicked interruptions uutiring organized op-
position, containing envy hatred and OF
The that ever entered COM
pound To destroy the reputation of any man than that
which was formed to detraet from the character OF
Thoaos Paine These vile traducers, not being able to
meet and his arguments, make an attack upon
his style Of writing they say "he ignorant, vu
gar man. and his style COARSE and rude" This pre-
Stunning great deal the ignorance of the people But
to show their own consciousness Of the falsehood,
and the despicabs resort for the parpose OF
covering their iniquity, will state orcumstance
that is not generally known In all our colleges the pro-
rhetoric have selected from the best writers in
the world sentences and paragraphs that the best
y OF style submity Of thought for examples for their
pupils, ana general rule the name of the author is
thst were taken from the writings Thomas Paine and
to all of these instead Of the authors NAME the word
"ancnymous is placed Mr. Paine begins his political
these words: Society produced by our wants, 60
vernment was produced By our wickeinese, and they
both have tendency 10 promote our happiuess society
directly by uniting a6stcions government, iDd
recy ey rssrs,niug Woes 1t follows, then, that
society ia every il blessing; but govern
ia its beat stats is but necessary evil in its
state miserable for when suer exposed
to tbs y w1 oSr WE
heightened By rejecting that we furnish the means by
which we suffer- Government, like dress, 10 the badge
Of lost innocence; the palaces OF kings are built upon
the ruins OF the bowers Of Paradise. Security being
the design and end Of government 1t unsnswersby
it US with the least expense and greatest
benefit IL preferable to all others This ID my creed OF
warmly, tits nom axed ilnmovaoe hatrsdI have and
had, to cruel men and cruel measures. have
to ths dignity Of but troubled others With
my notons till lately nor ever In
England in my life What write Is pure nature and
soul have ever gone together My writings
have always given away ressrving only the expense OF
printing aud paper, and sometimes not even that
courtsd either fame or interest aud nay manner
of life, 90 those who II, will justify what say
My study is TO be useful II there is sin superior TO
every osner It 10 that wilful and offensive Most
other sins are within limits that
Is the power Of cannot give them very gene
raj sxtsnsioo, and many kinds OF Gins naye only
mental existencs from which no infection arises
but ne who is the author of war, let's loose the
whole contasion Of hell, and opens vein that bleeds
nation to death IL has been truly said OF him. that
he borsd for the greatness of the nation Of which he
was member, and sought its happiness aud in tue
puss his own happiness To go little more mi
nutely into his history He was born at Thetferd 10
the county OF Norfolk England the 29th day OF Jan
1891 the ago Of thirteen he taken from school,
and employed by his father assistant in tho bust
ness Of stay making, where he continued till he was
seventeen he then went to London and Dover; but not
meeting with encourage menthe went on board the Ter
ribs Prvateer Capt Death board of which he con-
tinusd but shot time Shortly after he entered
board the King Of Prussia privateer Capt Msnde1 but
be did continue long there In 1882 he settled at
Sandwich, master stay maker, where he became
qusinted with Mary Lambert to whom he was arried;
from there he moved TO Margats where his wife died In
l760; from Margate he went to London aud from Lon.
don he returned Thetfrd where he obtained place
IN the excise He left that stustion and went to Lon
don where he became teacher in an academy kept by
Mr. Noble of Goodmsns Field, where he applied him.
self TO the study Of astronomy and natural philosophy
where be continued about two years when he was
pointed TO the excs be then left Londoo and returned
to Thserd; and IN the spring of l76s he removed
to Lewes In Sussex where be resided in the houss of
Mr.. OLIVES tobacconist, TO whose daughter he was
married In l77 lie then need the busI Of to-
becconist and grocer and continued the same till lI74
at which tine he was di'nied from the excre and his
other business proviog unsuccesu he closed that and
tor unknown cause he and his wife separated
Mr. Peins ives, by this and prior events, r.eved from
every tie which might he supposed to bind him to his
country Deprived Of his homs aud de tute Of friends
and employ ient he had to commence life anew, and
that without either credit apsl His parents
become muob advanced in years. their industry
than sufficient to procure maintsnanc for them
selves and therefore he could not have derived even
IL he had desired. any assistance from their Kindness
The oh@sees prospect which lay expanded before him;
the mi.oftunos thst had already bef,len him and the
dssolats situation IN viii he then placed must
have Impressed upon hi mind the idea that TO
whatever cOunry he'went, 1t was impossible for his
ooodtiou 10 become woree. In England, there was
no hops Every change only brought
mutation OF freeh misfortuues Borne cown by pc
yerty and surrouaded by iculties Of every deecrp
tion hie condition appears to have been that OF ruined
nc psless can la this situation, many would have rat
down discouraged, without struggle But despair and
dismay appeared to form part OF Thomas Paine's
character His mind appears never TO have been crush
ed by elstsd by success Inc unshaken iort
tuds which can smile on disappointment and danger,
look ersney amidst the tumults of triumph seems