The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-30
TOM PiINE's BIRTIDfr.
A Speech by wait Wnumnn on the Hundred
and Fortieth Anniversary.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. ga meeting was
bcld here this evening in memory Of Thomas
Paine. The following remarks were made by
Walt Whitman:
Some thiriy-nve years ngo. IN New York city,
nj Tnmmnny Hall Of which puce was then
frcnurnirr | hupprnsd Ia h,rOmc quito we'll nc
Iuaintod with Thomas Iainc,s p'rhape most
eliminate chum, ana ccriainy It'r y,"i1 Noy
Col Fellows who may vet be- rom inbcrcd by
sonn strnv rriiits Of that period and spot. If
sou will allow me, | will first give a description
OF the Colonel himself. lie was tall. OF mill,
lary bearing. aged about scvcnty-ilvc should
think, hair thick and white ns snow.
slcan shaved on the face dressed very
neatly, II iail-coat Of blue 10Th with metal
Dis neck hrcast. and wrists showing the whitcst
al linen. Under all circumstances, fine man
still fully about him. balanced and live and
nndmmcd as ever. lie kept pretty ialr health.
Though SO old. For cmploymcnt.for he was
upper courts. used 10 think him very pic,
turcsquc on the fringe Of crowd holding tall
BtafI. with his erect form. and his superb, bare,
thick haired. closcly-croppcd white head The
Judges and young lawyers. with whom he
respect. used 10 call him Aristidcs. Ii
Eas the general opinion among them thnt
nbsoiutr Justice remained vital anywhere
shout New York City Hall or Tammgny, they
Ncrc ~ bc found in Col. Follows. he liked
Soung mon and enjoyed to lrisurcly talk with
work lhc on these orc,lSions never drank bu,
ihi- Kind in old Tammany'4 back parlor OF
lho-r days that hrtold me much about Thomn-
Paine. At one Of our interviews hc gave mo Il
minute recount Of painr,- sickness and death.
]n short. from those talks. was AMI am salts
fled that my old fr..n !, With his marked ndNhu-
gnuged TIA" author of Common Sense. and
bcSidc- giving mo a good portrait OF his appear
nnce and ngnn"rs had taken the tru, measure
Apt only eff his eat rlnr iut interior character.
painr- practical drmrauor and much of his
hcor.li 81 h'lirl. WIS mixture If the French
md English -'hoo'~ oi "a century ago, ami "a"
lc9t OF 10th. Like most od-ioshionrd people,
h. drank a GLASS ur two every lay, hut was no
iippl"r. nor Mtcmpnrut'. let alone being "a
Ifinknrl. lie lived simply and erononirsllly
lui quite we'll was always cherry and 'our-
locus. perhaps occasionally a little blunt, hay
ing very positive opinions upon politics. rrli.
gion and so iurth That he laborod well and
wisely for the States, in the irving period of
their pnlturtion. and in the So dis Of their char
meter there seems To- me mo- question. dare
md enjoying tp-day-it- indrpcndcncc-its ar
dent belief in. and substantial practic" of. radi-
ral human rights-and the severance of liz Gov
rrnmcnt from all ecclesiastical and supersttious
dominion-I dare moi say how much OF all this
think a good portion Of il ,lccdediy Is.
But was not going either into an analysis or
nulogium Of tn" man. ! wanted to carry YOU
back generation or two and give YOU by ndi-
rc'tion u moments glunr"-and also Ia VENT late
nNcrS earnest amt hcli.Ne authentic 9pini9n,
nay cnuiHion. al that time TN iruit 81 ih"
interviews have mentioned. and oi question
Ing and cro-S-Iu"~tt"n 'hg, rl"nrh.d 10y my
best inf rmat.nn sin 8. tlni Thomas Phln' hal
nnuhin personality. u- exhibit d ia pres 'ncc.
hcc ,oi,'. dr, 49,. mann r. and what may bc
finiiv thr lptrr yinr- of H. lii" ana sur, of
Il o. the .oul ami foolish n ton- vgt told about
The cif.uni- u,c~ ~ - dno.i-r. ri" absolute
Is + tmf be- lived good fife. attn lis
KIM. u" diDl calmly and plio~nphichily.
u, h. am. uim. IT,, rv,i the embryo Union
mnn. woman. ANA riild in our tniriy-' i-lt
Sini - .- &c" -9n" 'N ui ''- lNih- in, i"n III "i
erant, tr.w my pi 'ir .u Tine 'airn Yi MS
trm'rN. A. " .ii know. me ,'-"h '"l' nan II