The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-02-11

"Great and deserved" says Alison, ''as
was -Burke's- 's-reputation in the age in
which he lived, it is not so great as it
has since become; and strongly as sub
sequent times have felt the truth of his
principles, they are destined to rise into
still more general celebrity In the future
ages Of mankind"
This was the man whom Paine under
took to answer. Far greater men than
Paine made similar attempt, but with
no success. Burke was unanswerable.
His astonishing intellect had carried all
before it. With foresight that was
prophetic he had predicted the horrible
excesses that subsequently occurred in
France and throughout Europe, and
with eloquence unmatcbable in all lit
erature aroused and stimulated that
daHntless spirit which carried Great Brit
ain through such contest rs the world
has never seen equaled, and finally
delivered Europe from the aggressions
of the revolution, and saved its liber-
ties. 1t was Edmund Burke who over
threw the empire of Napoleon, and
stopped his career of conquest.
This was the man whom Paine at
tempted to meet. In reply to Burke
Paine published his "Rights of Man."
1t is but "pigmy's straw" against the
armor of giant. American readers
may remember that if Paine had de-
Tended our forefathers against the ag-
gressions of the crown, SO had Burke,
and far more effectively In the
"Rights of Man." written in support
and defense of the bloody and wicked
revolution in France, doctrines are ut
tered which are subversive of all gov
ernment and every institution enti-
tied to the veneration of men. With
these doctrines American readers can
not sympathize. So abhorrent are they
to US that no. defamation about their
authors services to our revolutionary
cause can commend them.
Sir James Macintosh was one who
essayed defense of the French Revo-
lution," in reply to Burke. AS states
man, historian, and philosopher Mack
intosh ranks deservedly high. By Rob-
ert Hall, a dissenting clergyman of
great talents and literary celebrity, a
reply was also published. These pro-
ductions rank so much higher than
Paine's that the latter is scarcely
worthy of mention in connection with
them. Yet Macintosh and Hall were
together unable to answer Burke, and
the splendid eloquence of Fox, the most
accomplished debater the world ever
saw, was alike of no avail. In such a
contest, of what value was the mere
flippsncy of Paine?
The quality of this work of Paine's
may be judged by some observations
made upon it by Jeremy Bentham,
quoted by Macaulay in his review OF
Mackintosh's History of the English
Revolution of 1858. There is nc
doubt, says Bentham, that the atroci-
ties of the French Revolution were the
natural consequences of the absurd prin-
ciples> on which it was commenced.
While the chiefs of the Assembly
gloried in the thought that they were
J pulling down an aristocracy, they never
saw that their doctrines tended to pro-
: duce an evil hundred times more for
midable-anarchy-that the theory laid
} down in the "Rights of Man" had in 8
great measure produced the Reign oi
: Terror. Burke himself, after speaking
, of Paine's labors in assisting to form
one of the "annual constitutions" oi
} revolutionary and atheistical France
said: ave have discovered, it seems
that all which the boasted wisdom oi
our ancestors has labored to bring tc
perfection for six or seven centuries is
nearly or altogether matched in six oil
seven days at the leisure hours and il
) the sober intervals of citizen Thomas
, Paine"
1t may be not amiss here to recall the
: fact that soon after Paine had completed
his cage of Reason" he wrote and ad.
! dressed to Washington pamphlet
abounding with scurrilous invective, in
} which Washington's fame and abilities
, were deprecated, and himself taxed
, with ingratitude to Thomas Paine
: When Paine went to France he declared
his allegiance to that country, and be-
came a member of the National Assem-.
bly,. Falling into disfavor, he was
thrown into prison. On regaining his
liberty, he made this attack on Wash.
l.. ington for neglecting to help him out
1t may be that Washington thought
: that Paine, as champion of the Revo.
: luton, ought not to complain of the re-
, suits of his own principles. However
this may have been, Paine, in his pam
8 phlet, gave the following directions t.
the sculptor who should make statu,
of Washington:
Take from the mine the coldest, hardest stone
1t needs no fashion; it is Washington;
} But if you chisel, let your strokes be rude
And on his breast engrave INGRATITUDE'
, The Theological Works." so-called
of Thomas Paine were the natura
3 product of such a mind and character a
= his uhan ironrauua tod and frnotifiad h,