Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-04-03
$40 G q E22y.
by REQUEsT.1

10 u. a. BENEDICT, Edif0r Ciepeiand Herald:-
! was not littlo surprised as we'll q.
gricvcd in reading your notice of the
Paine Festival, held in this city a few
evenings since. Ihad verify hoped the
time had gone by, in this community a,
least, when men were TO bc prescribed
for opinions sake. Hard cpithets and
terms, used 10 awaken prejudice and
stir up angry feelings, rather than cool
reasons and argument addressed to the
understanding, do but little goodies.
pecislly when the accused are excluded
from reply.
Your piece is entitled "In6delity."-
No doubt, according to your standard
Mr.. p. was an InGdel-an Infdelity
bye the bye, common to great men o
that day, if we can believe Joel Bar.
low, q contemporary and particular
friend of P.'s, who, in a letter written a
shor, time after Paine's death, says oil
him :-"And as to his bias, PSF rclig.
ion, MS it is that Of most Of the men Of
science Of the present age, and probably
of three. .lour,hs Of those of the last, there
can be no just reasons for making cx.
ception in him." Certain it is his reli.
gion was the religion of franklin and
Jefferson. But how different the treat.
ment awarded to Mr.. P, for the simple
reason that he felt it his duty, owing to
the univcrsa! spread ofAtheism and i'm.
morality, during and after the reign OF
the bloody Robespicrre-through all
classes ofthe French peuple-to publish
his Age Of Reason, setting forth in the
boldest and most convincing manner,
his belief in Coda future life, and
the necessity for a pure religion and
morality!
The national order Of Priesthood, and
compulsive articles of faith were aboI.
ishej, and the people were left free TO
think and TO act. AT the time Of wri.
ting this work he was u prisoner in the
Luxembourg of Paris, whittier he was
scnt-thcn member Of the National
AssembIy--by Robespierrc, for no other
crime than that Of being a foreigner !;
and was daily and hourly expected to
be dragged forth to the guillotine. He
did no, believe in the plenary inspira.
ton Of the Bible--nor in the Divinity
of Chrisl--but he did believe in Col
and in his Immortality, and in the nc.
cessity of moral and upright life, and
in his Age of Reason he has set forth
in n very mastery manner his reasons
for his faith--a work as yet unreluted,
and | add, unrc(utable.
No one, then can donbt the honesty
ard sincerity Of his views, This fact,
and the fact that he loiled ceaselessly du.
ring our Revolutionary struggle, without
the promise or expectation of reward, for
the achievement Of the liberties which
we have since enjoyed, and that during
that long and almost hopeless struggle,
he possessed the confidence and esteem
of such men as Franklin, Jefferson, and
Washington that in fact, to no man,
not excepting Washington, ore we more
indebted for these liberties than to Thorn.
as Paino; as the history of the times
and the declarations Of these men abun.
dainty prove. Congress, the States oI
Pennsylvania and New York, made him
liberal grants of land and money, in
token of their high estimation Of his
services. These facts, | fancy, should
call forth far different language and in
spire a far different spirit from that
which characterized tho aforesaid no.
tice.
Mr.. B., have you ever read that work
Of his? Have you ever read any of thu
six different biographies OF this emf
nent man? Have you ever cs mildly ant
carefully examined and criticised hi
objections 10 and the reason why hi
could not believe that that work--th'
Bible--was as a whole, the production
OF an infinitely knowing and benevolen
mind Iventure to say you never hav
and that which you have written is bu
the offspring of educational prejudice
and soctarian bigotry. Now, Sir, is thi
manly? Is ii becoming to one occupy
ing the responsible post you do--not on
ly thus ignorantly to denounce the wor
thy dead, but to visit your spleen an
religious hate upon the living--many c
whom are far your superiors in age an
experience, and fully your equal in in
telligenco and virtue; and in ever
quality that constitutes the true ma
aud woman!
You say che died as fool dieth. -
This utterly deny, and but for the war
of time and space. | could prove to yo
the truth Of my denial.
That some deserted him, upon tt
publication Of his religious views. an
his efforts for religious freedom, ! q q
not deny. Among these was DR.. Rusl
Of Philadelphia, and who gives this
sole reason for terminating his form
friendly intercourse for like instances
illiberality and meanncss. we need n
90 back to the commencement oil tn
century. We see them, and find the
: every year of our lives. But that SUI
men as Emmett, and Clinton, and Ba
low, and Jefferson, and Monroe did CO
,, tinue their friendly intercourse and &C
respondence 10 the hour Of his death,
equal y true.
> Joel Barlow, our Minister to Fian'
. writes of him from Paris, Aug. IL. lsC
two months after his Paine's) doath.
follows :--"He was one Of the most
s,ruclive men ever have known.
. had a surprising memory and briiii'
3 Cancv. his mind was a store. house