Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-11-22

heart was good, and that he had the cou
u age to speak his honest thoughts. Undt
these cil,uins anee. l had hoped that yo
$ would tor the moment forget your reli.
! lous preu'lices and submit to the enliob
ened Judgment Of the world the evilenc
y"H had, or could obtain, affecting in an
= way the character of so great and so ger
e erous a man. This you have refused t
do. In my judgment. you have mistake
the temper OF even your own rcaGers. /
large nliority Of the religious people O
this country have, to a considerable exten,
l Outgrown the pre'uliccs OF their fathers
They are willing to know tl.e truth, tn
; whole truth, about the life and death o
Thomas Paine. They will not thank yol
tor having presented them the moscow
cred, the manned and distorted tradition.
OF Ignorance. prejudice and creduli:y. Il,
this course you will convince them not O.
the wickcdncss of PaiEe, but Of your ow,
lintailncss.
What crime had Thomas Paine commit
ted that he should have feare., to die? The
ohiy answer you can give is, that he denied
the inspiration of the scriptures. If II is is
crime. the civilized world is filled with
criminals. Tie pioneers of human thought
tile int iiectllal leaders of the world
the foremost men in every science-tlle
kings OF literature and art-thOse who
stand in the front rank of Investigation
the men who are ciyiliZing. clcvating, in
strlctng and refining mankind. are to-day
llnbclievcrs in the dogma of inspiration
Upon this question. the intellect of Chris
tendon agrees with the conclusions reach
Ell by the genius of Thomas Paine. Cen
l'iries ago noise was made for the pur-
pose Of frightening mankind. Orthodoxy
is the echo of that noise.
The man who now regards the Old Test
alnent as III any sense a sacred or inspired
book is, in my Judgment, IN intellectual
and moral deformity. There is in it so
much that is cruel, ignorant and fcrociolls.
that it is 10 mea matter of alnazement that it
was ever thought to be the work of a most
merciful deity.
Upon the question Of inspiration Thom-
us Paine gave his honest opinion. Can it
be that to give an honest opinion causes
one to die in terror and despair? Lave
you in your writings been :lctusted by the
fear of such Il consequence Why should
il be taken for granted that Thomas Paine.
who devoted his lite to the sacred cause of
freedom, should have been Kissed at in the
hour of death by tie snakes of conscience.
while editors Of Presbyterian papers who
defended slavery as Il divine institution.
and c'iccrfully justified the stealing of babes
from the breasts of mothers, are supposed
to have passed smilinyly from earth to the
embraces Of angels? Why should you
think that the heroic author Of the ..Riylts
of man. should shuideringly dread to
leave the bank and siioal of time" Willie
Calvin. drippin" With the blood of serve
tus. was anxious to be judged of God? Is
it possible that TIE perseclitors-thc insti-
gators OF the massacre of st. Bartholomew |
the inventors and users of thumb screws |
and iron boots and racks-the burners and
tearers of human iles!l-the stealers. whip
pers and cnslavers OF men-the buyers and !
beaters OF babes and motilers-tiie found
ers OF inquisitions-the makers of chains,
the BUILDERS ot dungeons. the slan,lerers of |
the living and the c;.lumniators of the dead. |
all died in the odor of sanctity, with white
forgiven hands folded upon the breasts of
peace, while the destroyers of prejudice
the apostles Of humanity-thc soldiers of
liberly-the breakers of fetters-the cre:.-
tors of light-died surrounded with fierce
ficnds of fear?
In your attempt to destroy the character
of Thomas Paine you have tailed. and have
succeeded only in leaving sl;.in upon your
own. You have written words us cruel. |
bitter and heartless rs the creed of Calvin.
Hereafter you will stand in the pillory of |
history as Il deflmer--a cllll,aniator of the
dead. You will be known as the man who
said that Thomas Paine, the '.Author He
rO." lived drunken, cowardly and bcstly
life, and died Il drunken and beastly death.
These infamous words will be branded up
on the forehead of your reputation. They
will be remembered against You, when all
else you may have uttered shall have pass
Ell from the memory of men.
ROBERT G. INCL RsOLL.