Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-12
PAYNE THE INFIDEL.
A KANSAS LECTURER EuLoGlzEs AND
DEFENDS HIS MEMORY.
j. = Ren'Surg Says that "BIGot''
Slime" the Dead Mans Memory-He
was Good and Pure and Patriotic.

A crowd of perhaps fifty or sixty "hbe-
ral-thinkers assembled at Monticello Hall
last night to hear the address Of j. E.
Rensburg, the "Orator of Kansas" who
was announced to speak on the Apostles Of
Liberty. or "Liperty," as the sign in front
Of he hall had it.
The audience was decidedly promiscu-
oua one-thst is to say, there seemed to be
all lnptions represented. and large proper
tion Of hearers who belonged to no nation
ali stall.
{, aries Hummel, the artist, was there,
as IS also George w. Swami, the en-
ers 'sr and spiritualist. There were seve-
ral present whose heads appeared TO nave
ne.er known the joys of comb and brush:
MI W. W. Washington. clerk TO the Chief
OF olice, and DIR. Dawson were also among
thu audience. They had evidently dropped
in ON spirit Of curiosity.
LADIES AND MUSIC.
Before the lecturer began his remarks
several ladies (about a score of the fair sex
were presently and gentlemen left their
Sc IS and took chairs upon the small plat
10 n in the ball. The remainder OF the
as smblage were never quite satisfied in
II t-ir minds for what reason this faction
Sc ded, but mutelv accepted their with
d wal as meet and proper"
= gentleman in the audience, or rather
OF the seoeding faction, then went to the
pi 10. an instrument long since sunk into
ate Of innocuous desuetude, and played
Jul-inspiring waltz which was received
" profound gravity. Another air was
d. nee became still grayer. No applause
f. lowed though the musician deserved 1t,
ft naught but Beethoven, Mozart, or
q iendeissohn could have brought melody
Fl n the venerable piano.
II. 4. II. Baker then expressed excessive
d hight at having the pleasure of introdu-
c; Q the speaker, who stepped forward.
tlr. Rensburg. whatever his religious Cor
n re properly irreligious) doctrines are, IS
q tie handsome man. He wears dar k
b 'rd and has IN exceedingly gentle look,
lle there ls nothing violent or blood
thirsty IN his manner or address.
BE DEFENDS TON PAYNE.
In commencing his lecture he said that
lie knew he was about to deliver opinions
IL opposition to those of the general
public, bat no was going 20 speak his views.
1--WE are sll anxious TO know the truth, he
added, land know of no better way Of finding
II than by meeting and discussing IL.
There IL one man, added he, "who has been
anziod ont for the last century to bear the In
justice and abuses Of the public-Thomas
Payne" (At this point tho lethArgic audience
broke into applause.l
1T " a common thing" continued the speaker,
"tO defend the living, but Is II crime 20 defend
tho dead-is there an Injunction restraining us
from defending those whose yoiceless lips can
not speak for themselves?
"0no hundred and fifty years ago Thomas
Payne was born In England, and like nearly all
fllustriOus rner he was Of obscure parentage.
"After serving In the navy and engaging in the
mercantile business he wes advised 20 come TO
America, which he DID,
The spoaker then compared Payne, who became
prominent In American politics during and after
the Revolution, with Henry and other great pa
trt0ts. "You would never have Witnessed the
Declaration OF Independence" continued he,
q but for the timely appearance OF his book.
This book FIRST suggested American independ-
ence and in II are found all the fundamental
principles Of our Government He was the in-
spring genius Of the long war that followed.
TUE "IYFIDBL IN FRENCH POLITICS.
After describing Payne's part in American his
tory the speaker told Of his doings In France,
which country ho visited shortly before the reyo-
luton there. He was received with great ecIdt
by the people, and became member OF the
convention which condemned Louis XIV. "a
death. Though Payne was an ardent advocate
Of liberty he was opposed 10 cruelty, and had the
courage 20 declare himself In opposition TO the
execution OF the King. For this he was i'm
prtsoned one year, and his ultimate release was
affected by the fall OF RObespierre.
In vivid and 1owory language the lecturer told
OF the French revolution and Payne's connec-
ion with IT, France said he, "gave him
B priSon and America placed crown of thOrns
non his head, but the old man died IN
co and Nature held him In her arms and
sOothed his dying moments. His life was beau
tlful ono and hts generosity was bounded only
by the limits of she world in which he lived.
HIS RELIGION.
"Tis religion was: believe in one God and
I no, fopb baV
life. / believe In the equality OF man, and that
religious duties consist In doing justice TO and In
endeavorinR 20 mako my fellOw-creatures happy
Bat let Us notice briefly" said the speaker
"the vices attributed 20 him. You have been
told that he was paupcr and died In want, but
he left q homo valued at 100000 which was pre-
sentcd 70 him by the State OF New York. IL Is
true that no could have bad moro but Tor his
generosity.
"You have been told he was drunkard. Gill
bert Wales tolls us that Of more than twenty
persons acquainted with him not one said he
ever saw him intoxicated. But supposing he
was a drunkard, is IL guilt so rare as TO secure
for him such odium7
"You have been told his writings are immoral
I defy those who mako this charge 20 point &c
ono immoral sentence In all he has written
They cannot and they dare not permit their ioi'
lowers TO examine his writings and ascertain
the truth or falsity Of these assertions.
"But, for the sake OF argument, suppose tna'
HIS writings are immoral II so, why Is all THIS
hThtn IthDe1 utUtlttutfdstu ulbh nm ~
not three fourths OF the world nfldels and do moi
all the worlds scholars 90 farther than he?
The speakers thus eulOHzed Payne and read
letters and papors from yafious celebrated mel
who had cUInnenfed him.
VIII RISE AGAIN.
In talking g ne "bgots" Who "slimed up
the memory oi ...e dead man the lecturer was
unusually abusive and severe, but he concluded
by saying that "truth crushed 70 earth viii rise
again. and that the opinions OF Payne, IKE those
OF Socrates Calico, Columbus, and others
would ultimately ASSERT themselves.
Mr.. Rensburg delivered his lecture, winch
from rhetorical standpoint was very good, with
studied effort, and 1t was evident that he had
learned II by rote-
After resuming his seat Mr. Baker arose and
said: Ladies' and gentlemen, as Mr.. Rensburg
has come here at his own expense, now pro
pose TO hand round the basket for him." This
Interesting TO Mr.. Rensburg) proceeding ther
followed, and the audience dispersed 10 the en-
uvening strains Of the "Sktrt Dance" which
burst forth ia enrapturtng notes from the plano
ACCIDENT ON WEST CARY.