The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-03-20


Paine in order that his religious works should be
discarded. is, to say the elst unchristainlike and
unbecoming. If the good works of all who have
committed bad deeds condemned and discorded,
think your Bible would dwindIe down to q very
small book. Again you charge him with recanting
on his death bed, because be called upon Coda God
he believed into be mereful and kind, not the BIZ
BILE God who caused two she bears kill forty-tw
little children while play, because of them
called out to Elijah, he was riding by, saying
See old bald head. Paine believed in Natures God.
and be left this world better man for having lived
in it. As he believed. he died /; and this last
charge is rs false MS the first If Paine recauted
why do you pursue him? If he recanted, he died
substantially in your belief for what reason, then
do you denOunce his death cowardly? Il, upon
his death bed he renounced the opinions he had pub
lished the business of defamng him should be done
by infdes, and by Christians ask you if it is
honest to throw away the testimony OF his friends
the evidence of pure and favorable men--and adopt
the Recommendations of malignant enemies? You say
that Paine died drunken cowardly and beastly
death. Ipronounce this charge false In what way was
his death cowardly? You must answer this uues-
tons by proJf, all honest will hold you in
abhorance for having cruelty slandered the defence
| less dead. For further particulars you refer his
friends to the New York Observer. will refer you
to the San Francisco Evening Post of Nov. 3rd,
1877, where Mr.. Ingersoll offers the Observer $1,000
if he can prove the charges he has published against
Paine. There you will letters from Geo. Wash
ngton. Thos. Jefferson, Mr.. Munroe, Mr.. Adams
and others of the highest authority speaking of him
in the highest terms. Can Paines enemies show any
| proof of their charges against him from such au-
| thorty as this Until you do prove it, You will
stand as defaners and caumnators of the innoccnt
dead Suppose Paine had lived and died III afi nee
and wealth. and drank no spirituous liquors. would
you have approved of his religious opinions Does
an argument depend for its weight and force upon
/ fha 8 =. u
Take for instance the little poem. Beautiful Snow,
which is read and admired much by every one
| That poem written by poor unfortunate prost-
tute short time before her DEATH 1t discovered
the day Of her death among her effects was pub
lished and read the day of her funeral. One of
our best American poets-Thomas Buchanan Read
on reading it was 50 struck with its beautiful senti
ments that he attended her funeral and followed her
remains to the grave. Would you have that poem
discarded and scattered to the four winds of Heay
because the author was poor unfortunate out-east
of society? If so, willask where is your Christian
charity? james Cheetham who the life of Paine
bitter enemy Of his and the witnesses you
refer his friends to IN the Observer merely the
repeaters of the falsehoods of James Cheetham the
convicted lbeer, shown by the following letter from
| Paine to Cheetham:
October 81, 1877.
Mr.. CheethaIn unless you make a public apology
for the abuse ali faseloods published in your paper
of Tuesday. Oct. 27th. referring to me, will prose-
cuts you for lying"
| He was prosecuted, convicted aud fined. Such is
! the character from whom your charges and proofs
emanated. The following are some of the letters:
| Rocky Hl Sept, 1888.
=" / have learned since L have been at this place,
that you at Bordentown whether for the sake of
retirement economy, know not. Be it for either
or both, whatever it may be, if you will come to
this place and partake with shall be exceed
| ly happy to see you at it. four presence may re-
mird Congress OF your past services to this country
and If it is In my power to impress them, command
my best exertions with freedom, they will be rem
dered cheerfully by who entertains lively sense
of the Importance of your works. and who with much
| pleasure, subscribes himself, your sincere friend
GEORGE WASHINGTON"
:" A few more such flaming arguments as were ex-
hbited ut Falmouth and Norfolk, added to the sound
doctrine and unanswerable reasoning lined in the
| pamphlet-CommOn Sense,-will not leave numbers
at loss to decide on the proprety of separation.
| GEORGE WASHINGTON"
:" 1t very generally propagated through the
Continent that wrote the pamphlet, Common Sense
could not have written anything in manly and
| striking style. JOHN ADAMs.'
." 1t is not necessary for to tell you how much
| all your countrymen-I speak of the great mass of
| the people-are interested in your welfare. They
have not forgotten the history of their own revolu-
| ton, and the difficult through which they
passed do they forget its several stages without
retaining in their bosoms due sensibility of the
merits of those who served them in that great md
ardOus conflict. The crime of ngratude has not yet
stained, and trust, 1t never will stain national
character. You are considered by them as not only
having rendered important services in
| luton, but as being moro extensive scale the
friend of human rights and distinguished and able
advocate in favor of public liberty To the welfare
| of Thomas Paine, the Americans not, cannot
be, Indifferent. JAMES MoNoRE."
Can it be possible that letters like the above and
from such high authority be addressed to poor
miserable, beastly drunkard Does not such au-
thorty stand as high James Cheetham, the
cfe ed tha Twill osEx
whois guilty of the crime of ngrattude and who has
stained our national character? Answer the de-
famers and calumminators of Thomas Paine.
FAIR PLAY.