The herald., 1893-01-30
WAS He SAINT OR ARCHS|NNER.
Xom Paine Painted as a Patriot
and Philosopher.
Inc Great Work He Is Said to Have
Done for Liberty.
proceedings at the Memorial Meeting
Last Evening ana Mr. Bruce's
Euiogy OF the Great
Freethlnker.

meeting was attended at the Los Ange-
les theater, last night, by about 600
people, the sexes being about evenly
divided. The stage was neatly decorat-
ed and the great aut uthor-statesman's
portrait occupied corner OF the plat
form. W. O. Bowman was president OF
the evening and his daughter the
poetess. The music was good, especially
the performances of the Berth family,
who executed the overture to Faust in
fine style and Miss Marguerite's violin
solo was worthy of Camilla Urso her
self. Mr.. Bruce's, Grafton on the life of
Paine and his services to tbs world WAS
most raptuously applauded throughout.
lie Is @ solemn n-looking man but one
who has not lost sight of wit while in
purauit OF forensic power. Taken for
all IN all, it was most enjoyable
evening.
Mr.. George 7. Bruce, who delivered
the main address Of the occasion, apoke
in substance as follows
While not accepting as infallible au-
thority all the teachings OF Thomas
Paine, my love for our institutions and
my veneration for the sacred memories
of their heroic founders cause me to
bring from the garden of my heart
few modest flowers wet with the dews of
affection in honor of him who was first
to write the brave words: 1.-The Free
and Independent States of America"
Thos. Paine was born in England.
Early In IVA he was in the government
service and wrote a reform pamphlet
on the branch of the public service in
which he WAS engaged. This pamphlet
lost him his position but it fell into the
hands of our Benjamin Franklin, who
was in London on business connected
with the colonies, and he adv ID Paine
to come to America, which he did late
in IVA. On his arrival in America he
found our fathers fretting under the
burdens imposed by England.
Paine having come to America with
letters from Franklin, and his writings
in the Pennsylvania Magazine, of which
he was editor, showing genius and abil-
ity, gave him the ear OF the ''rebal con.
gress," though but few, if any, of its
members sympathized openly with his
revolutionary ideas. In fact, he was
considered dangerous radical by most
OF the leading men of the day.
Early in the winter of 1776 Paine was
invited to meet in a quiet way four of
the leaders OF the "rebel congress- -
They were John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, Benjamin Rush and George
Washington. These men were known
to be somewhat in sympathy with
Paine's ideas, but they feared that the
time was not ri pc to put them into ex-
ecution. The conference took place in
Philadelphia and in an attic room.
Paine did most OF the talking. He told
our fathers that fidelity to themselves,
that honor and happiness alike de-
named different attitude toward the
insolent British government, that it was
their duty to quit whining about griev-
ances and say to the British government
that it was their right to affirm
sovereignty and independence. He
portrayed the excellence OF Republican
institutions and the feasibility of inde-
pendence, and with an enthusiasm that
only Paine was capable of, he pictured
a republic in which there should be no
distinctions, where character and con-
duct should be the only condition of
honor and preferment and where the
voice Of the people should be the gu
preme law
At the conclusion of his argument,
which we are told lasted nearly two
hours, his companions rose and grasped
him by the hand. Washington, il is
said. took both Paine's hands in his
and confessed his conviction OF the
necessity and practicability of inde-
pendence, and in earnest words begged
him to write his thoughts in book and
predicted that it would be read in all
the homes and thundered from all the
rostrums Of America.
In n rF To
published his Common Sense, and
Wsshington's prediction came true. All
opposition soon gave way and from New
EnglandAto the Csrolinas the people re-
solved to cast off the tyrant's yoke and
upon the altar of liberty plant the un-
Eullied banner of new republic. In
few months followed the Declaration of
Independence. Paine's Common Sense
inspired that glorious document. In
Common Sense are found all the funda
mental principles OF our government
and without detracting from the laurel
crown OF Jefferson it is but just to say
that the Declaration of Independence 10
but an epitome of Common Sense.
His efforts did not cease with Com.
mon Sense. Joining the army and
writing at night upon a drumhead those
wonderful papers called The Crisis,
he became the inspiring genius of the
long years of terrible struggle and blood.
shed that followed. The first of these
papers appeared after Washington's
crushing defeat on Long Island. 1t
rang out in clarion tones: "These are
times that try mems eouls." Number
after number of these papers appeared
till he triumphantly wrote: "The times
that tried mems souls are over"
When the war closed Paine was re-
garded as one of the foremost defenders
of liberty, and shared with Washington
the honors of victory. Had he died at
that time the new republic would have
watered his grave with her tears, his
name would have filed the brightest
niche in the pantheon of her worthless,
poets would have sung his virtues and
the pious would have claimed him as a
child OF faith and seated him high up in
heaven.
At the close of the war he returned to
England and wrote his Rights of Man.
The effect of this work was almost as re.
markable in Europe as WAS Common
6enee in America. The British govern
ment became SO alarmed for it's institu.
tions that the rale of the Rights of Man
was prohibited and its author prose-
cuted. From England Paine went to
France, and on his arrival at Calais re.
ceived an ovation such as Was never &C
corded before or eince to foreigner.
5 He was at once elected mem
ber of the National Convention OF
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