New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-29
THOMAS PAINE.

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49, trade. In 1857, youpg Paine went 10
,oHOs N .ooh atter to Sandwich, where he tnarrled
,o" g ,rho died wear aherward. His iather-
" .,cisemnn and obtained similar post
-. I'm, he soon left it and returned to London,
80 he for a time taught in school; but he was
..;p empoved in the Excise aud stationed at Lewes'
- Sussex. He resigned this post in l13-a ms enc
,,;as sfervard said be was dismissed, having pecn
ns,ob, conn ing with smugglers; but We believe 'h''
1yss sIaptor. Repairing again to London nc 'nero
sopcbt out benjamin Franklin, then agent lot Tue
American Colonies, By whose advice he migrated 20
This continent: lie reached Philadelphia IN i"4 ana
in January following became editor oil Inc fAAo'
sophical Magazine and .bo
The dferer ces between the mother country and the
1,oon;ss were coming rapidly to head, ana fane-ah
esrnes -cuiblean-threw hs whole cole INTO the cause
90 ~. Colonies. His FIRST pamphle., Common
Sense did rsore than any other essay to prepare the
Dub;c mind for independence. The Legislature OF
Peppsy,ysria voted bin $500 for it. He was after
ward employed by Congress as Clerk Of the Commit
fee on Foreign Affairs and wrote at intervals during
our Revolutionary struggle fifteen numbers of 1.-The
Crisis" each stirring appea to the patriotism OF the
American People. He was constrained to resign his
clerkshp in 1879, but sent in l7Sl on mission TO
negotiate loan in France which mission proved sue
cessfu On his return to America in 1855 be wa'
made Clerk q the Assembly Of Pennsylvania, received
from Cobgres donation Of 49, 900, and the State oil
New.York bestowed on him the conhscsted estate o.
Frederic Devoe royalst containing 5OO acres OF Sood
land with good house in the town Of New.RochelIe.
Paine returned to Europe in 1877, and published the
6rst par of his "Rights of Man. in London, in l79l,
and the secor part 10 1872. He prosecuted for
This as " fslse scandaous and malicious LIBEL, and
though defended by the celebrated Erskine, the Jury
convicted him without leaving their seats, and with
ont hearing the Attorney. General sum up for the
prosecution For this defense Erskine lost his office
os Attornoy General to the Prince Of Wales. Paine
escaped 10 France in September, 1892, and was re-
ceved with open arms, having already been chosen
from Calais to the National Convention. In that
Convention be displeased the Jacobns then IN the
ascendant, by voting for the Punishment rather than
the death Of Louis XVIII Toward the end of l193,
he vas excluded from the Convention as foreigner,
and in 1894 was arrested by order Of Robespene, and
imprisoned in the Luxembourg. While in prison he
finished his cage of Reason which was an able
hut violent and coarse attack the Christian Religion
The fsl Of Robesperre restored him to liberty toward
the cose of 1894 and he resumed his seat in the Con-
xention on the Sth of December in that year. lie
did not however make any figure in France, and upon
Mr. Jeffersons election to the Presidency, wrote him
that he wished to return to America. Jefferson ofesed
him a passage in q National vessel 1.-THE Maryland,
hut for some he did not accept IT, but delayeo
bs return TO the following year, leaving France In
August and reaching Baltimore in October he
f,lsd 10 receive. however from the triumphant De-
.ct or Us Chief that recognition OF his merits aud
his services which he doubtless anticipated. Jefferson
liked Paine, and sympathized heartily in most OF his
views but the grossness of bis attacks on the Chris
tisp religion. coupled with kindred assault on Gen.
Washington rendered it highly impolitc to give him
any desirs de Office. He had by this time become
addicted 10 drink aud his personal habits thereafter
are said to have been uncesay and epulsive Disap
pointed ambition, blasted hopes, probably aggravated
his foibies. He we'd theneefcrth mainly in TINS CITY
and on his farm in New-Rochele til his death, which
took place on the Sth of June lSU' lie was burned
on his farm at Rochelle; but, some years after
ward the notorious Goblet caused his bones to be
DUG mn and conveyed to England-an act which in
spired universal disgust.
Paine was undoubtedly one ofthe sbest writers ofthe
English language that ever addressed the masses He
wrote slowly but with rare vigor and clearness His
great fault was coarseness which often degenerated
into downright scurriIity His theological writings
often shocked and repealed by their rreverenco and
blasphemy those whom he aimed to convince His
wide influence Though his writings are less widely
read than formerly and visiby losing their hold on
the public mind he has still many ardent arnirers,
and his birthday is celebrated q festival on the
shores Of every ocean and in many quarters of the
civilized world.
The following letter, written in his 42d year, to
lady newly married is handed to hitherto unpub-
lshed 1t may serve as specimen of his felicity of
style and also we regret to say OF his lack of mental
integrity. Though Paine had been twice married long
ere this letter was written had lost his first wife by
DEATH and had lived three years with his second from
whom he separated by CONSENT, he writes as bach
elor Henever married afterward but brought away
from Paris taking final leave of Europe, the wife of
a French bookseller, who, with her two children, lived
with him thereafter. We believe his property was
mainly bequeathed to them;
Letter from Thomas Paine.
I.osDos, Jan. 6, 1889.
sincerely thank You for your veryfriendy and well
come letter. I was in the country when il arrived.
end did not receive il enough TO answer it by the
return Of the vessel l very afecionstey congratu-
late Mr. and Mrs. +. on their hsppy marriage, and
every branch of the families allied by the connection
and request my fair correspondent to present me to
her partner, and ~ say for me that he has obtained
one OF the highest prizes 10 the wheel.
Beside the pleasure your letter gives me TO hear
you are all happy and we'll it relieves me from SEN
saton NOT easy to be dismissed; and, if you will
case lew dull thoughts for cbtruding themselves
no eoongrslus.osy letter, will tell you what it is.
nneh gee my female ri, nds drop off by matrmony,
am sensible u something that affects me like loss,
Ae spite 1i all the appearances of joy, l cannot help
mixing the compliment of regret with that of conoraf
ustiOn Ii appears IA il had outlived mr. liar a
friend. II seems to me as the original wa. no more
and that which she is changed to orsakes the circle
and forgets the scene of former society Fslicits.
and cares superior to those she formerlv 60 81,
present TO her landscape Of life tha, e1cIr5e.
fhe little frepdships of tie past. IL Ia no, a'.sN