The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-29

and effective assailant OF orthodox
Christianity. It is but historical truth
to say that Paine was never an atheist;
he always believed in the existence of
God and had high and unseifish ideas Of
the Christian virtues. In the "Age of
Reason" Paine avows his disbelief in mir
acies and in the divine origin and inspira-
ton OF the Scriptures. He does not de-
nounce religion, but admits the benefit of
religion. He only denies that Christianity
contains the only religion that was ever
revealed to man, and he did not believe in
the superhuman character of Christ. Paine
makes liberal reference to the Scriptures
IN his Common Sense" to show that God
condemned monarchy. Paine would have
the people rule by Gods law as their right,
and he begins his cage of Reason: II
believe in God and IN future state Of ex-
istence." The Bishop Of Llandaff wrote
Paine letter saving that his delineation
of the attributes of God as set forth in the
cage OF Reason" was, in his judgment,
most just conception and eloquent picture
of the Creator.
wrote in the last decade of the eighteenth
century,i when the famous DR.. Priestly
was regarded as a religious hereto, and
yet DR.. Priestly was a Unitarian OF the
| orthodox school OF Claiming, who e1-
pressed his regret that Franklin was an
unbeliever in Christianity and by his con-
versatIon encouraged disbelief. 1t was
Iarnrnro4
an atheist, when as a matter o. fact Vol
taire waged bitter war against the French
materiaiists, whom he denounced for their
atheism and disbelief in immortality.
Paine really was a Unitarian, but
he attacked cherished beliefs with
invective and scurrility, and the vul-
garity of his method brought him
into far greater obioquy than Hume.
who was really a polished atheist or ma
teriaIist. The methods of Paine were more
offensive than those of Hume and Gibbon,
Just as the methods of Col. Robert O..
Ingersoll are more offensive than those of
Huxley and the other great English ag-
nostics, although his opinions are iden-
tical.
Paine was an affectionare. generous,
phllanthropic man, who enjoyed the
friendship of Franklin to the last. His
true title to enduring fame was his work
as an American patriot. In 1776 Paine
published Common Sense" advocating
colonial independence with the mother
country. The effect of this little pamphlet
was electrical, for while Paine was not
great thinker he was what every great
thinker Is not always-he was great
writer. In Common Sense" he stated
the arguments for colonial independ-
ence with unrivaied ciearness and
brought them home to the comprehension
OF all classes of readers. Next came
Paine's Crisis" which was of enormous
service to the patriot cause, and was read by
order of Washington to each regiment and
detachment in the service TO relieve the
dependency then prevailing in the army.
Washington, Franklin. Jefferson and
Richard Henry Lee all regarded Paine's
services to the cause of American in
dependence OF very high and enduring
quality. The sincerity of his devotion to
liberty cannot be doubted nor the magni-
tude of his service TO the United States
diminished by dwelling upon the fact that
Paine, a man of very afiectonate, gener-
Gus, but self-willed temper, was constantly
losing or repelling by us impuls We
speech and imprudent action the friend
ship OF many excellent men who
admired his abilities, reverenced his un-
sullIed, unseitsh patriotism and were SIN
cerely anxious to serve him. The charge
that he was Incorporate in his old age Mr..
Conway shows 10 be untrue, and the worse
charge that the French refugee, who with
her children found home with Paine,
was his mistress, was a most foul calumuy.
In an age not distinguished for social
purity Paine had always led a sInguIarIy
correct life; he was the son of Quaker
parents and always held to their high
standard of morality; he reproaches him
self for having once, when respondent in
Paris at the prospect of death by the
"Terrorists," drank to excess.
We have not called Pane great
writer while not great thinker with any
desire to belittle his tame, for the capacity
for deep, profound thought is not necessa-
rily married to the purely literary genius
for admirable expression. To illustrate,
Kant was q very great thinker, but not o
| great writer in the sense that Goethe was
great writer. Edmund Burke was a far
! greater thinker than Daniel Webster, but
| Webster was most vigorous, clear and
| powerful writer. John Marshall was Tar
! greater lega! thinker than Daniel Webster,
| but Webster could make a more powerful
and effective address to court and jury than
| Marshall. As a creative thinker Alexander
! Hamilton was greater man than Webster.
! but Webster surpassed Hamilton in his
! genius for literary statement. at once
! clear, forcible and simple. suited to the
comprehension Of all grades OF men.
! Paine exceIled in this rare power of clear,
| forcible, simple statement; he appre-
| hended the ideas OF others, and ex-
! pounded them with extraordinary
! strength, skill and simplicity. He holds a
! high place in the class of immortal po-
litcal pamphleteegs that includes Swift,
Jun;us. William Goblet and Sydney
! Smith.
| Paine lived in 81 great crisis. Great
events were on the gale" He rose to the