Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-04-01
THOMAS PAINE.
BY LYMAN ABBOTT.

A few weeks since l stood by the
grave of Thomas Paine, in the town
of New Rochelle. A plain monu-
ment marks the site of his former
home and his final resting place.
Erected by a few friends, it is COW
cred with significant quotations
from his politico religious writings
AS / stood there and reflected on
his genius, his apparent power and
his real weakness, I thought of
Christ's striking prophecy, and its
singular historical fultillment: "On
whomsoever this stone shall fall, it
shall grind him to powder" @
Thomas Paine's career was full
Of promise He welded a pen
whose popular power has rarely
been equalled, never, perhaps, ex-
celled His Rights of Mau,'' pub
lished in England during the excl
ting scenes of the French Reyolu-
ton, reached the unparalleled cir
culation of overaa million of copies.
His ssCommon Sense publish ed
six months before the Declaration
of Independence, is said to have
severed the last links that bound
the colony to the mother country
Six days before the battle Of Tren-
ton the first number of~his "Ameri-
can Crisis" was read at the head of
every ry'regiment, and first aroused, it
is said, the dropping ardor of the
disheartened people, 81
When at length that indepen-
deace was secured, to which his va
ri ous- services in the cabinet, the
field, and with the pen had afforded
no mean conclusion, no honors
seemed to triumphant republic
too great too be lavished upon him
General Washington received him
with peculiar hon ,rs as his guest
TheNationalCongress appropriated
$4,000 as testimonial of nations
esteem. New York presented him
| with a magnificent estate of three
hundred acres at New Rochelle.
Pennsylvania voted him gratuity
| Of 81, 500. New Jersey offered him
a homestead within her borders.
Virginia tailed only by single vote
in the attempted appropriation to
him of tract of land valued at $20,-
1 900: is doubtful, !" says the his.
toriany Botta, .s.whethers any writer
ever possessed in a higher degree
the art of moving and guiding sthe
4 multitude Jat&wilI." <@No, writer
says Thomas Jefferson,. ''has ex
ceeded Paine in familiarity of style
in perspicuity Of expression, happi
ness of elucidation, and in simple
and unassuming language IA
/ Such was the man who, drinking
in the irreligious philosophy of th'
French Encyclopedias, undertook
in his cage of Reason" at the ens
offs otherwise mem orable life, t.
subvert the principles and under
4 mine the authority of the Christian
9 religion. He did not deny, but as
! serted the existence of God, tn
J claims of conscience, and the realit,
| of an immortal existence beyon
the grave. He simply set his lane
: in poise to demolish the cross Q
J Christ. In vain did BeDjami
Franklin beseech him to reprcss
| work so shocking to the religion
sensibilities of -mankind..-"Amon
| u.s. said the sage. sit is not. neees
g sary, as among the Hottentots, tbs
5 a youth to be raised into the con
pany Of men should proye his maj
: hood by beating his mother"
b Paine persisted. His cage {
5 Reason for the moment outrivalle
: the wide spread popularity of b
S Common Sense" and his s'Righ
e of Man. - The church OF Chri
: seemed for the moment to tremb
4 under the 9blow. Christian me
5, feared fot the safety Of their fai
). before an attack so audacious, fro
pen, so powerful. But the LAM
It that struck the cross of Christ W
b. shivered into thousand pieces
1. his hand. 80
His assault was as powcrless