, 1880-08-29


three yenrs one month and i've days by terror
and force, unchatning utt the worst pussions Of
mankind. Never was thore legislative Or con-
stitucnt body which Displayed such stupendous
energy or performed sucn immense labor. It
depoputated Frnnce, and left III It's pathway
anarchy, misery, and social disorganfzation. Ii
tie dclirium Of its pAssiuns, 1t stamped itself
ON the history of the world not only by its
crimes, but by its great acts Of legislation, which
will live as long us France shall endure.
Thomas Paine was Il member Of this Conven-
ton. His popularity IN Frlnce ut this time is
shown by the fuct that he WIS
CHOSEN A MEMBER OF THE CONVENTION
By three departments .--the Pas de Calais, the
Disc, and the Seine ct Disc. He chose to sit for
the Pas dc Calais
He was iu Enxand at the time Of his election.
Achitle .Audibert> Of Cnlais, was deputed to go
to England and escort hin. tt France It seems
to hive proved somewhat hazardous advent
ure. for ut \ later period, in letter to mcn-
BIER Of the Committee OF Public Safety, in reia-
coming victim Of the English Government,
with whom Paine WAS openly ut war. Tie
31onitcnr Of tho I'D September, 17oi, refers to
The celebrated Thomas Paine. author Of
Common Sense, and OF n REPUTATION Ut 31r.
Heved it his duty to take precautions for his
personal safety In coming into France,
where he had been called by the Nation
al Convention. He had come by Rochester.
Sandwich. and Deal; arrived at Dover. after
having been put To the Inconvenience Of making
that circuit, he had suffered much from the I'M
1GTt1nGHCE OIL II GteFk Ill tue LuStOtu- tlDlaG WuO1
not content with pncing his booi1s nnd papers in
disorder under pretexr OF examination. even
went so far: us TO tear up his letters So1.e paid
wre1ches insulted him grossly In presence OF n.
Audbert, Of Calais and N. Frost. Probubly N.
Paine has been rs.conapcnscd for al! these ia-
suits by the brilliant reception which he received
upon his arrival OH French soil
Paine mud commenced his career ia Paris,
in is9l- by establishing the "Societe Rcpub-
iicaine," which bag been referred to, one of
the objects Of which WIS '1ro overthrow en-
tirely the nlunarchtcai system. What must
have been his enOtons ut finding himself
French citizen, aud II member OF ths Conven-
ton. and when giving his voice and vote u its
first decree, Introduced by the Abut Gregolre,
and wriuh. according to the official report, was s.,
received by " accntnauons IF Joy, the cr1es Ot
Viyc la nAtion,' repeated by ali the spectators,
themselves for mnny minutes:
La Convention Natlouale dtcrete que ia roy
auto esr aholie Ell France"
AS a member Of the Conveuuon, Paine
ABoREu UNDER THE IMMENSE DISADVANTAGE
0, not speaking nor writing the French ]nn-
uuaxe and very few Ut the members spoke En-
uijsh, At the epoch OF the Revolution it was as
Unusual 10 hear English spoken in Paris as 1t Is
nuw to bear Arabic. AS far as now recu!lectel,
Ihe ouly members Of the Convention who spoke
English were Dantun. MaTat, Lanthenas. Garan-
COuiou and young Ranya1, one Ut the secrotn-
rits. })anton mad speus much time III Engtund.
understood the language and was quite
yeif acquainted with the Ehglssh people
Tb,s was evidently to hrs disadvantage. for
,ue of the charges of the time ngainst him was
mai be associated "ayec les AnElais. and dined
Ioo often with them in the Rue Grange Bat