The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-12-28
Thomas Paine.

Thomas Paine had come over to
America in December, IVA, and.
through the favor of Franklin had se-
cured employment as editor of the
Pennsylvania Magazine. He was by
nature a dissenter and revolutionist to
the marrow of his bones. Full of the
generous, though often blind, enthusi-
asm of the eighteenth century for the
rights of man." he was no respecter of
the established order, whether in church
or state. To him the church and it's
doctrines meant slavish superstition and
the state meant tyranny. OF crude aud.
undisciplined mind and quite devoid of
scholarship, yet endowed with native
acuteness and sagacity, and. with no
mean power of expressing himself.
Paine succeeded in making everybody
read what he wrote and achieved n pop
ular reputation out of all proportion to
his real merit. Among devout Ameri-
can families his name is still a name of
horror and opprobrium, and unedu-
Gated Freethinkers still build lecture
halls in honor Of his memory and cele-
brate the anniversary of his birthday
with speeches full of dismal platitudes.
The age of Reason" which was the
cause of all this singular blessing and
banning, contains, amid much crude ar
gument, some sound and sensible criti-
cisin, such as is often far exceeded in
holiness in the books and of
Unitarian and Episcopalian divines of
the present day; hut its tone is coarse
and dull, and witt, the improvement of
popular education il is fast sinking into
complete and deserved Oblivion. There
are times, however. when such canstic
pamplleteers as Thomas Paine have
their uses. There are times when they
can bring about results which are not so
easily achieved by men of finer mold
and o subtle intelligence. It was
at just such q time, in January, 1910,
that Paine published his pamphlet.
Common Sense" on the suggestion of
Benjamin Rush and with the approval
of Franklin and of Samuel Adams.
The pamphlet is full of scurrilpus
abuse Of the English people, aud re-
sorts to such stupid arguments Is the
denial Of the English origin of the
Americans. Not one-thifd Of the peo-
pie, ven Of Pennsylvania, arc Of En-
glish descent, argues. Paine. as il Penn
sylvania had been pre-eminent among
the colonies for its English blood. and
not, IS in reality, perhaps the least En-
glish Of all the thirteen save New York.
But along with all this stuff Ehere was Q
sensible and striking statement of the
practical state of the case between En-
gland and the colonies. The reasons
were shrewdly and wildly set forth for
looking upon reconciliation as hopeless,
and for seizing the present moment to
declare to the world what the logic of
events was already fast making an &C.
complished fact. Only thus, Il was ar
kEued, could the States Of America pur.
sue . coherent and well-deAned policy
and preserve their dignity in the eyes
Of the world. Il was difficult for the
printers, with the clumsy presses Of that
day, to bring out copies Of Common
Sense" fast enough to meet the demand
forit. More than . hundfed Thousand
copies were speedily sold, dpd3it carried
conviction wherever II went.-AMantjc.
II - 49,. 4St4. fEa AEEs@N