The daily gazette., 1878-01-30
WHAT THE People SAY
Published by request. = D
Liberal League.

fuDllsneu by fequosb. .s ~ Il
Liberal League.
Mr.. EDITOR The league Of yester-
day had reason 10 know that they are on
the path Of right aud truth. During th4
past week . long article was published I'D
one Of the papers reflectibg on the paN
triot whose birthday was celebrated YES
terday. and the result of all Of 1t was
that the League room was crowded (and
many had 10 20 away TO hear the truth,
knowing that defamai ion and slander fot
the past fifty years Of the philanthropist
from the pulpit was cheap aud certain
| IL was very cheap advertisement, and
we hops the friends (?) who 20 gave VI
to the public will receive our thanks, fot
we are aware that In the purpose Of Prov
idence evil Is often overthrown for good.
The League was opened with music
| The subject was the character and servi%
ces Of Thomas Paine by the President
OF the League, Mr.. @. ClAvey, who show
ed himself to be fully conversant with
the character ard services Of the great
author hero. He told how Paine was
introduced Into this country by Frank
lin /; showing how, and IN what way he
came TO write that great book called
l"Common Seiise," and the effects Il had
upon tine colonists, and as II was the first
work that bresthed Independence 10 the
people, the author was entitled to ct least
decent hearing at the hands Of the peo+
pie to-day.
He showed how he was the bosom
companion OF all the men whom we arp
taught 10 love and admire, Washington,
| Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, MonroeI
L II
words with US to-day showing clearly
that II they are worthy OF remembrance
50 was their coadjutor--Paine. He show
ed by history that the much abused friend
Of freedom followed the army of WASH
ington,. and partook OF the cold and the
crust. and amid the SHOWS of Valley
Forge wrote upon the drum head the
numbers OF the "Crisis," and with the
! printing press at hand had them printed
scattered through the army, read by the
corporal OF each company to the men.
Showing how when Washington was al
most discouraged, and the best Of Tho
lpa,riots we're giving way In despair, then
Paine, being Clerk Of the Legislature Of
Pennsylvania, got up subscription list
for the beneft OF Washington and biz
men PANE headed the list with fise
hundred dollars, the whole years salary.
The subscription reached the large
!. amount Of G300, 900 and this fund coIl-
t verted into bank supplied the immedl-
< ate wants OF the government, and ena-
a bed Washington 10 commence The prep
arations TO subdue COrnwalis and bring
, the war 10 an end. VIVA 20
Congress appointed Col, Laurens 10 81
to France TO solicit aid for the colonies
the Colonel agreed TO 90 proc ided Paint
: would 20 with him. Paine was willing
, 10 do anything TO advance the cause. d
freedom; the mission was q success, ant
, they raised loan OF 10,O00,000 lvres
, and present of 6,000,000 more, ant
France agreed TO send fleet Of not les
than thirty sail Of the line. During thN
Iwar he wrote and published twelve mum
bers Of the "Crisis," which Washingtot
I admilted had done rs much for the liber
,tty Of the colonies as his own guns baF
! done. ~, isf....... ~. f95l itas |
The motto OF Paine was, ssThe worlt
Is my country TO dogood Is my religion.'
Alter the colonies had achieved their In
dc pendence, Paine went to Eng land n
l visit his old home aud his mother; thA
J cry Of freedom had been taken up bI
1 L
steps 70 assist his needy brothsrs, he wa
a elected member Of the convention frod
, Calais, and took his sea. in Paris. 'Thl
revolution sprang into existence and th'
life of Louis XVI, was in danger, Pain,
lspoke and wrote against putting .hS
king TO death, and advocated exiiing th'
king to America, as he had been q frlent
TO the colonies, this exasperated the revo
lutionists and all foreigners were votef
: out of the convention Into prison, 'twal
J here that the hand OF Providence wa
4 seen and felt BY all to be around tn,
{ apostle Of freedom; his escape from th'
r guillotine was as by a miracle on tw'
a occasions. After he wrote the "Rights
: of Man." and England had tried him foI
2 ltreason, Paine then being in France
q : England kept number OF vessels arOunc
a the seaports to arrest him If lie embark
. ed. President Jefferson sent the shiI
t Maryland TO bring him TO America as
1 the guest of the nation; but he could mol
. get ready In time. He then engaged pas
sage In a vessel with Com. Barney bu
Il was disappointed, the hand OF Providence
u was again visible, for the vessel sunk a
= sea. He finally reached America safely
In Oct. 1892. The speaker said;--Thos
: Paine-what memories, what recollectioni
8 does this name recall? For forty year
f we can distinctly remember the name o
!, Tins parsonage, and Of hearing his namt
I abused and villified, as though he wa
I and is disgrace 10 human kind. Thos
e Paine, e,--0ne hundred years ago, hii
$ )'narne was used as a lullaby for motherl
Q Ito nestle their children 10 sleep, on<
Il Hundred years ago, his name was the
( 4 watchword OF liberty, freedom and In
ldependence; one hundred years ago
arouna the camp fires Of Washington, his
q name was the synonym OF patriotism, ,and
y all that was sacred and true; one hun
. dred year, ago, he was The author oi
r such works as stirred the colonies from
: centre TO circumference. and from the
0 depths Of mems souls they honorsd the
J, man, who. with his printing press fol
5 lowed the army Of w ashington, and
a wrote the "Common Sense" OF that day
C and flung TO the breeze the numbers Of
the "Crisis" that made the colonies free
and Independent, and to this day, we are
the debtors " the patriot, soldier, au-
Z thor and hero. +.