The Shasta courier., 1859-05-07
NUMBER 9.
Thomas Paine.

In a recent article on the celebration of Tom
Palnes birthday says the Baltimore Patriot,
we alluded to Grant Thorburn as a living wit
ness of his dissolute and disgusting habits. The
last New York Observer contains letter from
Nlr Ihorburn, written his eighty-third birth
day, February 18th, and dated Winstead, Conn,
where he expects to pass his remaining days
This letter is devoted chiefly to "reminiscences of
Tom Paine We make the following extracts,
which we hope will be read at the next and ev-
cry succeeding anniversary of the infdel de-
bauchee:
Gas there is but step between me and death,
owe 1t to generations yet to coIne to relate
what saw and heard of Tom Paine. Perhaps
there Is not 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
sat by the fire on winter night, rehearse the
items of his life. | think he was the worst aaem-
Der Of the body polite ever met in my journey
through life. He married a respectable lady,
who died eleven months afterwards in conse-
quence Of brutal treatment. He then married
daughter of the Collector of the port of Lewis
after three years she obtained a divorce fer like
treatment.
In 1873, while he held an Office in the Gus
lOlu-uUuee, gwen HllH HIS ldlHeI-ln-ldWjJ Ho
was detected in taking bribes from the snug
glers, and fled to America. He was made Sec
retary to the Private Committee of Congress- and
took oath to keep their secrets. He broke
his oath by dvulging the project of a secret
missien to the Court of France, by Silas Dean.
He was dismissed with disgrace (See the
Journal Of Congress in IVA er ~ This treach-
cry was the Cause of much trouble in Congress,
and in the Court of Louis XVI.
We next find him in Paris, helping Ropes
pierre in his abors of love to establish the free
dom of the press and the right of speech, by
means of the guilotine He quareled with Rob-
bic, and 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, 10lst page
In 1901, when King Thomas 1. assembled the
throne Of his kingdom, he instantly dispatched
a national vessel to convey to our shores the
yenerated Thomas Paine. He arrived early in
the year 1902 spoke to him at the City Ho-
tel, Bowery, few hours after his arrival He
found letters urging him on to Washington,
then four days journey) He started next
morning. At Georgetown messenger was
sent forward to announce his approach; feast
was got ready, and all those of a like way of
thinking were invited. Paine entered late, his
shirt unwashed, his beard unshorn, and reeling
like drunken man. A look Of censternasich
shone forth from every face; mirth ceased; one
| by one they went out leaving Paine alone in
his chair, fast asleep. Next day he received
letters and instructions to return to New York
When Aaron Burr returned from Europe,
whittier he had fled after his duel with Hamilton,
he kept his Office in Nassau street, near nsy seed
store. From him | received the account above
stated
Paine, on his return, was enable to find lodg-
ings. Carver took him in, for old acquaintance
sake. He died at Greenwich, of delirium tre-
mems, in 1909.