Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-10-06
THOMAS PAINE.

IIAOIA[tS EAAtks
The challenge to the Christian world
by Col. Ingsrsoli. to prove by cemPe-
tent Witnesses that Thomas Paine on
his death bed recanted his infdelity,
and died in an agony Of rsmorss. has
called forth a great deal Of testimony re-
sarding the Last unhappy days Of the
wrstehsd patriot and writer. The tes,i-
mony. already Of record. respecting the
sqaalor and degradation OF PAine's las,
years ID ample ; we meet with ii In many
places. and IL may be said that II Is as
authentic a. amy fact recorded in history.
The men Who saw Paine. and who had
ample opportunities Of observing his
habits, all concur in representing him ~
deplonbly incorporate. Grant Thor.
burn. whose information upon this point
10 particularly full. was certainly In nc
sense . prsjudicsd witness. bat. on the
other hand, he was q specially con-
scisntious Scotchman. and quite incapa'
bic Of recording . falsshood. The ira
didons at New Rochelle. where Paine
died and was buried. all confirm the
stories Of his unfortunate habits Of in.
t~sxication. The story told in his diary
BY Stephen Grsllst. the eminent Quaker
preacher. IL TO the same purport. II any
question can Be considered settled. II ID
that Of Pains's personal habits.
The second subject Of controversy Is
that Of Pains's ante-mortsm remorss,
and Of q change in his religious feeling
at or near his anal hour. Considering
that fer = long time before his Departure
hs Was hardly sver sober, and lived al
most entirely upon q mixture Of rum
and milk. perhaps too much Importance
may Be attached to any expressions,
either blasphsmous or convsntionally
psuitential. which fell from his lips.
ON. thing In certain-vbethsr be died
A,h.,.. Dsi.,. or like ons almo.t p.r.
susdsd to believe while incapable Of be.
lisving. his closing days were ~singularly
unhappy. He had been in his time a
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Unit ,;,l,,. .lmo., .Ion.. and viii
constitution entirely ruined by hi.
szcsssss. he was slowly dying. What q
man saw. under such circumstance.
must depend greatly upon his nomsnt.
AIRY humor. To some Of those visitor,
who were brought by pity or charity to
his bedside Paine spoke very harshly o.
Christianity aud Of Christians with
others he seems to have been wOr'
moderate In his language. Mary Roscoe,
. young Quakeress, told Grellst thai
Paine spoke Of his athsistical friends rs
miserable comforters " and whaI
Mary Roscoe said to Grellst may DO ac-
esptsd rs the truth. A. well rs Grsilsts
report Of It. She says thai she repeat
ediy heard him u''srins cries Oh "oh'
Lora ana tha' no confessed 10 nei
mar SATAN alone eouiu nave prompted
MN 10 wh's 'he age o' i'eason'
a no meant W .his Is unee''ain'
dc may nave regretted the paoneAuon
~ injurious 10 MS temporal f'ahe
sines unaouoisaiy nau oesh 80 h'
may nave isi' 'ha' no haa thrown away
90