New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-31

honraphy Of him that has been written. So
called lives Of him are eXtant, but not one OF
them Is Trustworthy, and several Of them are, in
the main, monstrous and malignant fctions. The
very worst is that Of Cheatham, but even Rick
mans, which was written by friend and an
sdmrer, erIs only less seriously on the side OF
indscriminatns eulosy. There is in all these old
Biographies Of Paine certain resemblance to
campaign documents. Paine. while living, was, Iii
fact. an issue" for and against which men took
sides; and their estimate Of the man largely
affected by their views upon the doctrines he
taught 1t has been part of Paincs unhappy
destiny that the calumnies Of his enemies should
have formed public opinion concerning him; nor
has any serious attempt been made, until Mr.
Conway took the work in hand, to get at the
historical truth of the matter, and TO put falne
before the world as lie really was
Mr. Conway reminds us that historians OF
reputation have quite recently indorsed the old
FLANDERS on Paine, rather than &c to the trouble
of ascertanin. the truth. One of them not long
ago referred to the author Of "CohmOnscnse as
filthy little atheist" Now this characterize
ton reminds us Of the story about Cuvier and the
crab. A photographer submitted TO the great
naturalist this definition of crab: y small
red fish which walks backward Cuver OBJ
served that the definition was correct save in
three particulars The crab said he, lis not
red : il ia not a fish. and it docs not walk back
ward" So it may be said of the Characterization
of Paine lie was not filthy, he was not Httle'
and he was not an atheist. On neither OF these
points can there any longer be the slightest room
for controversy But it deserves to he SAID, IN
excuse for the erroneous views SO long ana so
generally entertained concerning Paines career
and character. that Mr. Conway has had very
No hO
high. indeed, for the perseverance, and industry
with which he has thrown himself into the work.
the patience with which he has followed obscure
clcws, mined in government archives, and utilized
every scrap of attainabe information. Fault
may be found perhaps with his spirit at times, but
there is no probability that, after this thorough
inoucst. any new light will be thrown upon the
subject.
Thomas Paine did not owe all his misfortunes
10 the malice Of enemies the apathy of friends.
II is clear enough that with all his political
and financial ability he had not the capacity
wisely to administer his affairs: wisely, that
is, according Ia purely worldly standards lie
might have laid the foundations Of handsome
fortune with the profits Of his great pamphlet
"Commonscn~c but lie chose 10 make virtual
rift of il IN his country. The result was that
after more than two hundred thousand copies
bad been Sold nc found himself indebted 20 the
publisher He did not understand human nature
or Re would have known better than to put de-
pcndence upon public gratitude. lie really be-
lieved that it was unnecessary to make any pro-
vision for ais own future for thae the people he
he'd hclpcd 10 save would take care Of him.
What must have been the thoughts OF Washing
toms friend and companion at Valley Forge when,
a few years after the tme that tried mems
souls. he found himself hootcd and pcltcd in the
very cinity % Trenton?
IL has teen said that Paine after all only
a pamphletecr II So lie the greatest
pam phleiecr who ever lived, for there can he
no question that during the War OF Independence
his writings Influenced and controlled the dircc-
ton of events than any other one thing
The Congress was content to take It's cue from me
latest Crisis and once at least, when pubic
opinion was greatly exercised over NaShlng'ons
Philadelphia roiiurcs ami the general slowneSs
of his movement. Paine alone stopped an organ
lied effort 10 procure the removal of the Com
msndcy-in- Chief Washington esteemed and adj
mircd him greatly, and declared later that he
had contributed as much rs any man to the sue
ccssful issue OF the war Why was it, them when
every influence seemed proptious, when apparently
there ans nothing to prevent the name Of Thomas
Paine from going down 10 history side by side
with those Of Washington and jefferson, Madison
and Monroe--be should have missed his Oppor-
tunitics as he did
His unwordy temperament no doubt counted
fer very much in his failure more unselish
man never Drcathcd His enthusiasm and devO-
ton for great principles and for the advance
ment Of humanity IL is an impcrishablc honor
10 his memory that almost his first utterance in
America was a protest against slavery. Whether
Mr. Conway is right in his con lecture that Paine
wrote the re ectcd anti-slavery article for the
Constitution, and the view taken in these volumes
il after all only speculative. il certainly would
have been just like him. This also would have
illustrated his caIelessness of bis personal inter
cats, for slavery even then was vested interest,
and not TO be attacked with impunity. Even
Washington found it too strong to he deled, and
yielded his own convictions regarding it for the
sake of harmony But Paine had no worldly
prudence Wherever lie saw q wrong he attacked
it. and he let the consequences take care OF them
selves. OF course this made him enemies, and
tended to blight his career but that career might
he described as a career of making and then throw
ing away brilliant opportunities In refusing to
take any Office he put obstacles in his own path,
and as his optmistic ideas of popular gratitude
proved baseless he was forced presently TO make
applications for help 10 his friends in power which
were humilatng and Inconsistent with his avowed
principles
lie went to France very heavily handicapped
by his ignorance of the language. But he had
time enough to have learned ii during the years Of
his residence in the country, and why he did not
DO so is a mystery upon which Mr.. Conway throws
no light. True 10 himself he eXerted all his
energies on behalf Of humanity during the earlier
part of the Revolution lie tried to save the
King. lie tried to save the Girondins There is
much obscurity in the history of his relations with
whom he always regarded as his
enemy, to whom lie ascribed his imprisonment
vet who did not bring him TO the guilotinc. II
Is true that an order for Paine's trial (which was
equivalent 10 sentence OF death was found among