Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-03-05
fCorrespordcncc Of the Boston Journal
Thomas Paine.
New YORK Jan. 81, 1858.

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NEW York Jan. 81, 1858.
The orc hundred and twenty-firs
anniversary ofthc birth of Thomas Paint
was celebrated in this city on the 2sti
instant; about fifty men and womer
danced and sat down to supper Mrs
/, Ernest L. Rose was the chief speaker
or. as the term is, "the Orator Of the
Evening The speech would have done
great credit to the women III France.
who in the Reign of Terror, gathered
around the guillotine, and sung and
yelled with delight, and danced for joy,
as heads fell into the basket by the doz-
zen. And the position Of the "Orator," "
and the principles avowed, show what
this world would be, if tho sentiments of
their chiefcould become prevailing ones
of the land.
AS the New York Tribune, in giving
an account of this dcihcaion of this
lnfdel Chief, has attempted to place a
garland on the brow of Paine--to hold
him up along side of the Patriots of the
Revolution-and make him model for
young men of Amcrica-and as Paine
died in this city and passed his last years
here, tmay be timely AMI profitable
work to give the leading incidents in
his life and see how worthy he is as a
man to be placed on the same pedestal
beside Washington, Whctherspoo and
ether worthless of the Revolution, whom
the American people deli hit to honor.
Thomas 3aia- was born in Thetlord
En- 3laad,i the month of January, 1871.
His father was Quaker in principle
and a staymaker by trade. Thomas for
time followed his fathers business
He then became grocer. lie was next
in the government employ aud was
dismissed for dcfrauaing the revenue.-
He became married man. Maltreated
his wife and finally abandoned her. He
made the acquairtan nee of DR.. Franklin
in paris When The aca auain'ance begun
Paine was living in garrett and was
catching precarious subsistence as
writer. He concluded to visit America
and try his fortunes in our i"fant strusgle
with England. He reached Philadcl phia
in the year l774 and soon after published
his political pamphlet called Common
Sense
This little tract on the Revolution
elevated Paine to some emincnce as
politician. He was made the confident
of important political secrets he bctray
cd his trust and was dismissed from his
post with disgrace. The charge against
him was that he had violated his official
oath and was destitute Of general
integrity and marked for general false
hood.
In the month of February, he sailed
for England. Upon his arrival there he
printed his book called the Rights of
Man. in reply to the writings and
speeches of Burke on the French revolu-
ton. He was tried in England for
sedition. He escaped and sailed to
France, but not till he had been outlawed
i'll England. In 1871 he was member
of the National Assembly in France. and
voted against the death of Louis XVI,
and for this act he lost cast with the
Jacobins.
He came again to America. In 1892
he began his "Age of Reason" He
had neither Bible nor Testament when
he composed the first part, and his mo-
tive for publishing thus book was that
the political revolution would be follow
ed by religious revolution-mcn had
trodden down kings; Paine supposed
they would now tread down God and
the Bible and the overthrow of relisio
was the favorite chimera of the author.
lie was arrested for political crimes
and thrown into prison, where he remain
ed eleven months. He was now con-
frmcd drunkard and such were his
habits that Munroo, his faithful friend,
was compelled to abandon him.
Next we find him attacking Gen.
Washington, in a violent aud nrothgate
letter Of sixty-forr pages, He denies
Washington all "Generalship'-calls his
great battles ''insign;6cant skirmishes' y
and thas addresses the Father of his
Country LAS to you, sir, treacherous
in private friendships, and hypocrle
in public life, the world will be puzzled
to decide whetheryou are an Apostate or
an lmposter.
He again visits Europe, and returns
to America in 1902. He was welcomed
hack with attention. Rooms were taken
for him at one Of the best hotels in New
York. Bat the zeal of his supporters
was somewhat cooled when twas known
that he had elopod from France with
another mans wife and three children,
and that they were all with him at
the public hotel, at the charge OF his
friends.
A gentleman who called on him soon
after his arrival thus describes the inter-
view: 1--WE raped, small figure came
~ ,,,,.,r,Iu .i-fs.aI with an al