Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-11-29

them read without the comments by the
: author. Hence this anxiety to free Il
great apostle of infidelitv from the obloGl
which his life brought upon his name;
represent him as pure. noble, virtuo,
man. and to make it appear that he died
y peaceful, happy death. just like a philos
pher.
r But what makes the publication of IL
facts in the case still more imperative ;
this time is the wholesale accusatio
n brought against the Christian public by tn
friends and admirers Of Paine. Christia
t ministers as a class. and Christian journal.
are expressly accused of falsifying history
OF defaming 1.-THE mighty dead!" (mean;n
Painej. &C.. &c. In the face of all thes
accusations it cannot be out of place t,
state The facts and to fortify the statemen
by satisfactory evidence, as we are abun,I
antly able to do.
The lWO points on which we propose,
10 produce the testimony are. the characte
OF Paine's life, (referring of course to hi
last residence in this country. for no on,
has lntlnated that he had sunk into sucl
besO,ted drunkenness until about the time
OF bis return 10 the United States in 1902
and the real character of his death as con.
sistent with such life. and as marked
further by the cOwarlliness which has
been often exhibited by iniidels in the same
circumstances.
1t is nothing at all to the purpose to
show. as his friends are fond of doing. that
Paine rendered important service to the
cause of American independence This is
not tie po:nt under discussion and is not
denied. No one ever called in question the
valuable service that Benedict Arnold rem
dered to the country in the early part of
the Revolutionary War; but this, with true
Americans, does not suffice to cast Shade
OF loneliness or even to spread L mantle of
charity over his subsequent career. What
ever Share Paine had in the personal friend
ship of the fathers Of the Revolution he
forfeited by his subsequent life of beaslly
drunkenness and degradation; aud on this
account rs well as cl account of his BIAS
phemy he was Stunned by all decent peo-
pie.
We wish 10 make one or Two corrections
OF misstatemehts by Paine's advocates. on
which vast amount of argument has been
simply wasted. We have never stated in
any form. nor have we ever supposed, that
Paine actually reDOunced his intidelitv.
The accounts agree in stating that he died
a blasphcming iniidel. and his horrible
death we reSars as one n @ Of tbs flpi.s- tie
have never seen anything that encouraged
the hope tl:t he was not abandoned of
God in his last hours. Bat we have no
doubt, on the o.ler hanf;. tia. having be- !
come a wreck in body and mind through
his in.empelr.nCe. abandoned of God. de-
serted by his in;idel companions, and de-
pendent upon Christian charity for the at
tentions he received. miserable beyond d,-
scription in bis condition. and seeing no
thing to Oce for in the future, he was
afraid TO die. and was ready to call upon
God aud C:list for mercy, and ready per-
haps in the next minate to blaspheme.
This is what we referred to in speaking of
Paine's death as cowardly. 1t is shown in
the testimony we have produced. and sill
more fully in that which we now present.
TIE most wicked men are reat'y to call
upon God in seasons of great p !. and
ask for Christian mini: tr .iions
when in extreme illness; but they r. often
leaGy on any alienation of distress TO turn
to their wickedness again. in the expressive
language of Sc cipture. las the sow that
was washed TO her wallowin2 in the mire."
THIS calling on God in the hour Of danger,
after life Of unooGliness and blasphemy,
viii no sincere repentance. is mere cow
arlice. and this is ,he spirit which Paine
manifested.
We have never stated or intimated, nor,
SO far IS we are aware, has any one OF our
correspondent stated. that Paine died in
poverty. 1t has been frequently and truth
fully stated that Paine was dependent on
Christian charity for the attentions ne re-
ceived in his last days, and SO he was. His
ipfidel companions fOrsoOk him and Chris
ian hearts and hands miristered to his
wants, notw:. .hs,anding the blasphen,ies OF
his death-bed.
Nor has one Of our correspondents sta
led. as alleged. that Paine died at New
Rochelle. The Rev. DIR. Wicka,n. who was
a resident of that place nearly fifty years
ago. and who was perfectly familiar with
the facts Of his life. wrote that Paine spent
Ibis latter dtys'' on the farm presented to
him by the State of New York. which was
strictly true. but made no reference to 1t as
the place Of bis death. Such misep'esen-
ta;ions serve to show how much the advo-
cotes of Paine admire ''irtlth.'
In regard to Paine's "personai habits"
even before his return to this country, and
pa,ticulallv his aversion to soapand water,
Elkanah Watson. gentleman of the high
est social position, who resided IN France
duripr part of the Revolutionary war.
and who was the personal friend OF ASH
jnrton. franklin. and other patriots OF the
neriod. makes some incidental statements
in his ..Men and Times of the Revolution.
Though eulog;zing Paine's efforts IN be-
half of American Independence, he de-
scribes him as ..coarse and uncOuth in
his manners. loati,some in his appearance,
and a disgusting egotist." On Paine's az
rival Mt Nantes, the Mayor and other dis
tinguished citizens called upon him to pay
their respects to the American patriot.
Mr.. Watson saws: He was soon rid OF
his respectable visitors, who left TIE room
with marks Of astonishlnent and disgust.
MIR. w., after much entreaiy, and only by
promising him bundle of newspapers to
read while undergoing the operation. sue
oeeded in prevailing. on Paine, ITO stew
for an hour, in hot BATH" Mr.. W. ac-
companied Paine to the bath, and I'm
structed the keeper. in French (which
Paine did not understaDdD gradually to in
crease the heat OF the water until 'te Mon
sisur serait 6ien bouitle' (antii the gentle
man shall be well bOiied);" and adds that
..he became so much absorbed in his read
ing that he was nearly par-boiied before
A<>h hsS fsrnpn