Washington telegraph., 1855-04-04
From the Memphis Eag. & Engl
Life and Character of Tom Pain,

at Louisville, few weeks since, by an asso-
citation of Germans called the Turner's, ~
has ELECTED much comment In all quarters
of the country, and some facts from the ac-
tual life and doings of the celebrated athe-
list and bloody minded red-republican, with
which it would be well for Turner'S every
where to become acquainted, before anoth-
er celebration of his birthday, is yentured
upon. A correspondent of the Louisville
Journal resurrects Paine's celebrated letter
to Gen. Washington, published in 1896, in
the United Safes, which was written from
Paris, and sent home as fit fuel for the
fame of partisan malignity then raging in
certain Tory quarters against the Father OF
his Country This was, probably. the most
at,rocious libel he ever penned The follow
ing is passage taken at random from this
Infamous document
"As to you, (writing to General Washing
ton,) treacterous in private friendship, and
a hypOcyite in public life. the world wi II be
puzzled to decide whether you are an IMPoS-
TOR or a vILLAIN-whether you hare ABAN-
DoNED good principles, or whether you
ever HAD any,"
- Thus wrote the man whom the Turn
ers delight to honor Whose birthday
they can celebrate--while that OF Gen
Washington, the glorious 22d of February,
they can pass over in silence The man
who scrupled not to brand as ''treacherous, -
'hypOcTite," an '-IMPosToR" and ''vIL-
LAIN" and deuoid of good zozl,sci7,Les -
or as having '-d6andO71ed" them-the great
and good WAsHINGToN-the Father OF
his Country" the first in war, first in
peace, and first in the hearts of his coun-
trymen ~ Well may we exclaim, 80, tenn
pora! o, maores "'
- The last New York Observer contains
letter from old Mr. Grant Tborburn late
of New York city, written on his SD birth
day, February 18th. and dated at Winsted,
Connecticut. where he expects to pass the
remainder of his days This letter is de-
voted chiefly to "reminiscences of Tom Paine.
We make the following extracts. which
We hope will be read at the next and every
subsequent anniversy Of the infdel de-
bauchee
As there is but step between me and
death, / owe it to generations yet to come,
to tell what l saw and heard OF Thomas
Paine. Perhaps there lives no man on
earth, who traced him from his cradle to
his grave, except myself. Carver and !
were fellow-labOrers in the same shop
Paine and Carver were born in the same
town in England Paine and [ boarded
with Carver often heard Carver, his wife.
and Paine. as We four sat by the fire on a
winter night, rehearse the items of his life
He married respectable lady, who died
eleven months thereafter, in consequence
Of bruta! treatment He then married q
daughter of the Collector of the Port Of
Lewis; after three years lie obtained di-
vorce for like treatment.
In ITS, while he held an Office in the
Custom House, (given him by his father-in-
law, he was detected in taking bribes from
the smugglers, and fed to America He
was made Secretary to the private Commit
tee Of Congress, and took an oath of Office
to keep the secrets. He broke this oath by
divulging the project of secret mission to
the Court of France By Silas Dean. He
was dismissed with disgrace (See the Jour
nal of Congress in 1777 or l77S) This
treachery was the cause of much trouble in
Congress, and in the Court of Louis XVI.
We next find him in Paris, hel ping Robes
pierre in his labors of love to establish the
freedom of the press. and the rig ght of speech
by means of the guillotine. He quarreled
with Robbie, was chalked for the guillotine
God, willing to make the wrath of Paine
to praise him, sent an angel who delivered
him out of prison. (For particulars of this
miracle, see the Life of Thorburn, 101st
page)
In 1901, when King Thomas the First,
assembled the throne of his kingdom, he in
stantly dispatched national frigate TO con-
vey to our shores the generated Thomas
Paine He arrived early in the year 1902
l spoke with him at the City Hotel, Bowery
few hours after his arrival He found letters
urging him on to Washington (then a four
days journey) He started next morning Al
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, bis shirt un-
washed, his beard unshorn, and reeling like
a drunken man. A look of CONSERVATION
shone forth from every face mirth ceased
one by one they went out. leaving Paine
alone OF his chair fast asleep Next day
he received letters and instructions to return
to New York.
When Aaron Burr returned from Eu
rope, whittier he had fed after his duel with
Hamilton. he kept his Office in Nassau ST.
near my seed store. From him l received
the account above stated. Paine on his re-
turn. was unable to find lodgings Carver
took him in for old acquaintance sake He
died at Greenwich, of delirium tremens, il
1909.