Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-05-25
Thomas Paine.

In recent article on the celebration
of Paine's birthday, We alluded to Gram
Thorburn as living witness Of his disso
lutte and disgusting habits. The last Neu
York O6Seruer contains letter from Mr.
Thorburn, written on his SD birthday
Feb. Is, and dated at Winsted, Conn,
where he expects to pass his remainin
days. This letter is devoted chiefly tC
the "reminiscences of Tom Pal me- We
make the following extracts, which We
hope will be read at the mex. and every
subsequent anniversary of the infdel de.
baucEee. ]-Ciacinnott Gazete.
GAS there is but step between me and
death, | owe it to generations yet to come,
to tell what | saw and heard Of Thomas
Paine. Perhaps there lives not man on
earth, who traced him from his cradle to
his grave, except myself Carver and l
were fellow laborers in the same shop
Paine and boarded with Carver I often
heard Carver, his wife, and Paine, as we
four sat by the fire on a winter night, re-
hearsc the items of his life. l think he
was the worst member of the body polite
| ever met in all my journey through
life. He married a respectable lady, who
died eleven months thereafter, in conse-
quence of brutal treatment He then mar
ried a daughter of the Collector of the
Port of Lcwes after three years, she OBJ
tanned divorce, for like treatment.
"In 1873, while he held an office in the
Custom House, given him by his father
in-law,) he was detected iu taking bribes
from the smugglers, and fed to America
He was made Secretary of the private
Committee of Congress, and took an oath
Of office to keep their secrets. He broke
thi, oath by divulging the project of a Sc
cret mission to the Court of France by
Sias Dean. lie was dismissed with dis
grace. (See the Journal Of Congress, in
LII or l77S) This treachery was the
cause Of much trouble in Congress, and in
the Court Of Louis XVI.
awe next fnd him in Paris, helping
Robespierre in his labors of love to estab-
lish the freedom of the press and the right
Of speech by means Of the guillotine. lie
quarreled with Robbie, and was chalk
cd for the gaillotire. God, willing to
make the wrath of Pain c to praise Him,
sent an angel who delivered him out of
prison. (For particulars of this miracle,
see the Life Of Thorburn, l0lst page.)
"In 1901, when King Thomas the Fire.
ascendei the throne of his kingdom, he
instantly despatched national frigate to
convey to our shores the venerated Tom
Paine. He arrived early in the year Of
1902, l spoke with him at the City Hotel,
Bowery, few hours after his arrival
He found letters urging him on to Wash
ington, Chen four days Journey He
started next morning. At Georgetown,
messenger was sent forward to announce
his approach a feast was got ready, and
all those of like thinking were invited.
Paine entered late, his shirt unwashed, his
head unshorn, and reeling Ike drunken
man. A look of CONSERVATION shone
forth from every face !; mir,h ceased one
by one they went out, leaving Paine alone
in his chair fast asleep. Next day he re-
ceivcd letters and instructions to return to
New York. (When Aaron Barr returned
from Europe, whittier he had fled after his
duel with Hamilton, he kept his office in
Nassau street, near my store. From him
received the account above stately
"Paine, on his return, was unable to
find lodgings. Carver took him in for old
Acquaintance sake. He died at Greenwich
of delirium trcmens, in 1909"