The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-13
ing the Boards leave for 30 doing. and being
1nna of on n account Of fha dahts tvhich ha Ind

ing the Boards leave for 30 doing. and boin,
gone off on account OF tho debts which he ha,
| contracted" 1t seems that no sooner was |
known that tho hope OF increased salary 70
| tho excisemen had failed than he found him
self In danger OF arrest for debt On this &C
| count he had left I.ewes for u time but 1t wa
only that he might take steps to mako over al
OF his possessions to his creditors. Thi
was cfrectually done. nad at thirty sever
Paino found himself penniless. More Sc
rious trouble overlook him. In Junt
OF tho same unhappy year Paine and his VIII,
formally separated. Tho causes OF their dis
agreement arc envelopcd in mystery 1t has
| been stated by both friendly and hostile
biographers that there was from the first
no cohabitatiop. concerning the respon'
sibilty for which neither OF them was evel
induced to utter word. Even his friond
| Hickman was warned or the subject by Paine
| who. in reply to II question as to the reason Of
tho separation. said: 1t is mob ody's business
| but my own: I had cause for 1t. but will name
| It to no one"
without wife and without hope
| Painn came to London; but how hc lived
| for the next few months is unknown. II IL
certain. however. that he made the ncnuant-
ance OF BENJAMIN Franklin. In tho Doctor s
| electrical experiments he took deep IN
| tcfest. for Paine was devoted to science
| md the extent az his studies is a,tested by his
description OF the now electrical machine and
other sciontirc papers which he was subse-
uuently to publish In tho Pennsylvania Maya
| zine. Franklin recognized Paine's ability. and
believed he would be useful and successful In
| America
II.
So Patno decided on migrating to To-
| colonies. and left ENGLAND in I774. He horo
| q letter Of introduction from DR.. Franklin
| to Richard Bache. his son-n-'nw. from which
! We make tho following extract: " The heoror,
Mr.. Thos Paine. is very well recommended to
mo as an ingenious, worthy young man. lio
goes to Pennsylvania with view OF settling
| thero request YOU to give him your best nd
vice md courtcnuncc. as ho is quito stranger
there. II you can pu. him in way
Of obtaining employment as a clerk. or
assistant tutor in school. or assistant
surveyor, Of all OF which think him very ca
pablo SO that he may procure subsistence at
least til he can make acquaintance and obtain
n knowledge Of tho country you will do well.
and much oblige your atfcctionnte father in
March. 1875. Pnino wrtos Franklin from Phil
ndelphia: Your confidence in me has Oh
tained for me many friends and much rcruta-
ton for which please accept my sinccret thanks.
have been applied to by several gentlemen
to instruct their sons ut very advantageous
terms 10 m self. and printer and bookseller
here. Robert Ait;in. has lately attempted
magazine. but. having little or no turn that
way himself he has applied 10 mc TOT ASSIST
ance."
Tor eighteen months Paine edited tho
Pennsylvania Magazine or American Museum.
and probably there never WINS an equal
amour. of good literary work dono
on salary OF $50 year. fea-
ture OF the magazine was the description
by Paine OF recent English inventions not
known in the Now NCrd-a threshing ma
chine. spinning machine. DC. These papers
attracted the members Of tho Philosophical
Society. founded by Franklin. and Pano was
welcomed into that circle by Rittcnhouso.
Clymer. Rush. MnhlenberG. and other repre-
sontn,ivcs OF what was thcn the scientific and
literary metropolis OF America. Among
Paiue's articles on social subjects are n con-
demnation OF tho duet then challenged for
the first time in this country: pro-
test against cruelty to animals. to whose
ri shts Christendom was not awakened.
and rlca for tho rights OF women. the
first uttered in America. Paine was also
the first to urge an extension OF tho princi-
pies observation-disclosures tho cnslaved negro. He
was the first to arraign monarchy and to point
out tho danger OF its survival In the Presi-
dency: the first to advocate international arbi-
trntion: the first to propose national and in-
ternational copyright. and the first to suggest
moro rational ideas OF marriage and divorce.
In n word, the Pennsylvania Magazine. while
it was edited by Paine. was seed bag from
which this sower scattered the seeds OF great
reforms. which were to be ripenod with the
progress Of civilization
1t wns during the autumn Of IT'S that Paine
wrote his pamphlet. Common Sense" which.
with the new year. burst from the press with
an effect which has rarely been produced by
types and paper In any age or country.
OF tho paramount influence OF this pamph-
let there can TO no question. 1t reached
Washington Mt Cambridge soon after tidings
that Norfolk had been burned by Lord Dun
moro. as Falmouth tnow Portland. Me- had
been by Admiral Graves. Washington wrote:
A few more OF such flaming arguments az
were exhibited Mt Falmouth and Norfolk.
added to tho sound doctrine and unanswer-
atlo reasoning contained in the pamphlet
Common Sense will not leave numbers at
loss to decide upon tho propr:ety
OF separation" Edmund Randolph. our first
Attorney General. who had been on Washing
tons staff In the beginning OF tho war and
conducted much Of his correspondence. as
cribod indepenIence primarily to George H..
but next to Thomas Paine. an Englishman
by tiith. and possessing on Imagination
which happily combined political topics
poured forth in n style hitherto unknown on
this side OF the Atlantic from tho ease with
which 1t nsauated itself into the hearts OF
tho people who were unlearned or of the
learned. No other pamphlet published dur
ing tho Revolution is com parable with Com
q.