Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-11-29
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
Al account Of Thomas Paine in
his Hast Sick ness.

N account Of JnOsn3S FsaAnc lO
his last sickness.
After w. HIS family began to visit him,
which was few weeks previous 10 his
lcath (they being near neighbors at
he was much gfged IN
writing. which he performed with great
bols,ered up in bed. with some
thing placed before him to rest his paper
on; his shoulders also being stiff, 50 that
he could not move them, which together
with what NJ. X. saw convinced her be-
yound doubt that he was spending his III
tie remaining strength. to leave behind
him a proof Of the adherence Of those
principles. which he had much Of his life
been en- Ieavoring to inculcatc. This CIR
cumstance occasioncd Mrs T. 10 be less
careful to remember what she saw or
heard but what became OF the manu-
scripts has not been fully ascertained but
il is reported and believed, that ii was
sent to a certain printer in that city tsince
deceased) and while preparing for the
press, was purchased at considerable ex-
pense, by some of Paine's former friends.
and suppressed. During the time OF
Paine's illness NJ. Il. was unwell, and the
physician who attended him was called 10
her. She asked him how Paine was, the
Doctor replied, every i'll, We (meaning
the Physicians) think we have never be-
fore seen such suffering oblcct.-b he
tells me to-day" added he, "ihat his bod
lily distress is nothing compared L I al Of
his mind" When she had recovered,
she went 10 see him, and in another "a
partment found a French woman, who
had accompanied him from France, IN
great distress, wringning her hands and
lamentng that she had iorsakcn her hus
band, friends and religion, to embrace the
principles Of Paine, and that she had
he had told her these principles would not
stand, and he charged her not to build up
on them; now" says she Il have none 10
look to-" There was a statement in the
papers few weeks before his death. that
two clergymen went TO see him. and that
he treated them roughly. NJ. r. asked
him if it was correct, he told him it was
not, but he sent for a clergyman who
came attended by an Elder, and thought
Paine wished them TO proceed N their
manner, proposed prayer. Paine told
him he did not send for him to pray, as
he did not conceive that any form OF
words invented by man could avail, but
that his motive in sending for him, was
for the relief Of his own mind, TO correct
an error which he supposed him the (the
pricst) to be in, and then asked him if he
thought he was authorised by Christ to
preach This offended the priest and he
Withdrew.
Paine remarked that he preferred the
priest to himself, but feared his being in
error might be an injury TO others. The
last visit she made him, on entering the
door she perceived him TO be in prayer.
(shc usually found him to be in prayer or
writing.) she turned to go out. but his
nurse spoke to him and said here is n
friend Of Mr.. lis come TO sec YOU. He
paused and asked her to walk i'll ard
come near him saying: IL hope you are a
friend 70 God and Christ" AZ d after an
other pause asked her "if she had ever
read any of Paine's works or writings"
she replied she had when she was very
young and did not know better. He
queried what she thought OF the book. She
says: "dost thou really wish to know what
I thought" He replied Il trust that you
are one that has brought the truth, and
would not tell it TO pl, nse such a vaga-
bond as ann She then told him that
she thought it was in effect more like n
serpent than anything she had ever read.
That for days after reading it, she could
not think good thought. but some of his
reasoning would Irvine around and repel
it, and seeing the other children of the
family eager to take it up and read it. she
could find no peace until he had commit
ted it to the flames. lie then made an ex-
clamation denoting the horrors of his
mind, saying: Iii had been better for my
poor soul at the present dav. il all the
world had like you destroyed them. but
the world was glad to have it So adding,
.ifSatan ever had an instrument TO lead /
into the ways Of darkness. have been
one. have passed many slecpless
nights in endeavoring to pervert the right
way" When she took leave Of him. he
requested her to ask Mr.. II. TO come and
see him saying 81 love to have him BY
me, for when he sits by my side, although
he says very little. il seems as though the
Devil himself is silenccd, and feel as
though ] could do nothing but pour out
ny prayers and tears before God" At a
certain time, when some Of the family
we're there one of Painc's former friends