The Lake County star., 1877-11-01
rhoma. Paine's Life and Death.
From the N. Y. witness.

From numerous letters recently re-
ceived, we judge that In some parts Of
the county special efforts are now
being made to circulate the works of
Paine, and to add to their influence by
defending the personal character of
that author. Though we have fire.
quently published abundant and In
controvertible testimc ny on this sub
ject, we give the following extracts for
the benefit Of several correspondents
who desire this information. In
answer to an assertion that the stories
of Paine's drunkenness and degrada-
ton were the invent tions Of the clergy,
the Rev. DR.. ]. ID. Wickham writes as
follows:
"The writer of this communication
was more than fifty years ago resi-
dent Of New Rochelle, N. Y, where
the body of Paine was buried. His
grave was In u corner Of u farm which,
having confiscated as the property Of q
Tory during the Revolutionary War,
had been presented to Paine by the
State Of New York for his patriotic
services In aid of the Revolution. On
this farm he spent his latter days with
q solitary female attendant. 1 have
heard the physician who visited him
describe the condition In which he was
accustomed to find his patient, and to
which his vicious habits, and especial
ly his habitual drunkenness, had re-
duced him. This he represented as
revolving to his sensibilities, making
his necessary calls to prescribe for his
relief exceedingly unwelcome and re-
pulsive. This physician was an es-
teemed elder in the church Of which /
was at that time pastor, highly regard
ed not only for his skill In his profess
sion, but as man Of sound judgment
aud unimpeachable veracity. He has
been dead many years. But the name
Of Matson Smith, M. D., Is still held
in hOnored remembrance by all who
knew him. His grandson, Rev. Mat
son Meiser Smith, ID. D., 1t is stated,
Is about to remove from Hartford,
Conn.,, to Philadelphia, to be q profess
or in q Divinity School,"
In answer to remark from Mr..
Frothingham, of this city, that Paine
'drank occasionally more brandy than
was wise, more than would now be
deemed dignified, but reputable Chris
tians of his time kept him In counten-
ance in this, we publish the following
summary
"Matson Smith, M. d., of New
Rochelle, was q distinguished physi-
clan known to US and to hundreds OF
others yet living rs a gentleman of the
highest social standing, q calm, studi-
GUS, judicious, thoughtful man, whose
integrity was Fabrician, which with
Mr.. Rockingham is far more than
Christian. He is dead. Rev. J. d.
| Wickhan, d. D., and the Rev. Charles
Hawley, ID. d., were successfully pas
tors of the Presbyterian Church in
New Rochelle. Both are living.
They have been known to us person
ally for long series of years, and their
memory and veracity are as reliable as
those of any other two men living.
To call in question the testimony of
any one Of these three men would be
ridiculous, and no sane man would at.
temptit.
What is the testimony? DIR. Mat.
son Smith was the physician who at
tended Thomas Paine, and the facts
respecting his patient were stated by
him to those two gentlemen now liv-
ing, and this is the record:
| II have heard from hiui, from per-
sOnal knowledge as q physician, the
particulars of which are too loathsome
to be described In print. He came to
lose all self-respect and regard for de-
cency in his personal habits, which
were at times simply beastly. His
drunkenness became habitual and
notorious before he left New Rochelle
and he was not unfrequently found
lying by the roadside, SO helplessly in.
toxicated that he had to be carried
home, as 1 have been told by persons
who had befriended him in that pitia.
BILE condition. There were some who
In spite of the shame and degradation
into which he fell, still cherished q
lingering respect for what he had been
and in consideration of the service he
had rendered the Revolutionary cause
by his political writings; but no one In
that vicinity, as late as thirty years
ago, would have had the temerity to
deny these things, much less call them
wicked inventions of the clergy"
Paine died in 1909. and these facts in
regard to his habits of life have been az
public and familiar as that William
Cobbett carried OFF his bones.
In confirmation of this testimony, an
estimable member of the Society ol
Friends says:
In the journal Of Stephen Grellet q
noted and most worthy minister of the
Society Of Friends, find the follow.
ing record, made in the Fall of 1909:
~ may not omit recording here the
death of Thomas Paine. A few days
previous to my leaving home on my
last religious visit, on hearing he was
Ill and in very destitute condition, i
went to see him, and found him in q
wretched state; for he had been 80 ne
| elected and fOrsaken by his pretended
friendslthat the common attentions to
q sick man had been withheld from
him. The skin Of his body was In
some places worn off, which greatly
increased his sufferings. A nurse was
provided for him, and some needful
comforts were supplied. He was
mostly In state Of stupor, but some
thing that had passed between us had
made such an impression upon him
that some time after my departure he
sent for me, and on being told was
gone from home, he sent for another
friend. This induced q valuable
young friend MARY Rascoe), who had
resided In my family and continued at
Greenwich during q part of my ab.
sence, frequently TO go and take him
some little refreshments suitable to an
invalid. Once when she was there,
three Of his deistical associates came to
the door and In q loud, unfeeling
manner, said: Tom Paine, 1t is said
you are turning Christian, but we hope
you will die as you have lived : and
then went away. On which, turning
to Mary Rascoe, he said, you see
what miserable c0mforters they are.
Once he asked her II she had ever read
any Of his writings, and on being told
she had read but very little of them,
he inquired what she thought OF
them, adding, From such q one as
you, I expect correct answer She
told him when very young his Age
Of Reason was put into her hands,
but that the more she read it the
more dark and distressed she felt, and
she threw the book into the fire. Il
wish all had done as you," he replied ;
for II the devil has ever had any
Il