New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SECOND VOLUME OF THE COLLECTED
WRITINGS OF PAINE.

WRITINGS OF PAINE.
THE WRITINGS OF THOMAS PAINE. Collected ;t4a
and edited by Moncure ID CONWAY, Noi' IA 100
1872 PIP ILL.,. 523. q. T. Putnams sons.
The second volume Of Mr. COnway's collection
Of Paino's writings touches a number Of themes
that wee of absorbing interest in their time
Some Of them are sthl vital The fisheries ques-
ton and Newfoundland Banks are ready almost
any time to take part in American politics, while
the DISPUTE over the cessiOn by Virginia OF the
territory which she claimed northwest of the
Ohio River was dead almost before 1t was settled
On both these matters Paine took what may De
called the National point Of view. He does not
seem ever to have thought OF the group OF col
onies so much as Of what he Delighted 10 ca"
the Continent. Writing on the subject OF Nhe
fisheries in letters TO THE Pennsylvania Ga
ze:te," before American rights were defined, ne
took the ground that Americans as Such nad
natural rights on the Newfoundland Banks ana
then pointed out that unless these rights were
recognized by treaty they might be lost by de-
fault lie saw beforehand what was plainly
evinced by the of 1912. that the hsheIies
were the training school for American seamen
But his prediction that America, even win the
assistance OF all the fisheries, could never be
graf naval power much less a dangerous naval
power reads strangely III the hight OF the as
p,ra:;ors and the perpexities Of the present day
He reasoned from, what he called "the known
cas-; and order OF things" and gave very con-
else example Of a sylogism in 'ferlO.' in wnlch
the major premise that mo country OF
large extent ever yet was powerful! at sea OF ever
viii be" Given this premise any one can con-
struct the argument. This simplicity or methoo'
even when he wrong and still more wheh ne
was tight was one important cause for the popu-
larity Of Pane's writings throughout the better
years Of his life. OF course, he did not copy
the abrupt conciseness Of the professional
logician. He did not say: Minor premse-'he
United States are a country of large extent. Con-
clusion: Therefore, the United States can never
he great naval power" But he only expanded
his argument enough TO cover without conceal
Ing its mechanism. He pretended merely to
comment on his major premise. THE natural
reason Of this appears 20 be-" said he. that men
do rot in any great numbers turn their thoughts
10 the ocean til either the country gets filed or
some peculiar advantage or necessity tempts
them out A maritime life is kind of partial
emigration produced from a portion OF the same
causes with emigraiions in general Inc ocean
becomes covered and the supply kept up from
the constant swarmings of the landed hiVe' ana
as we shall never be able to fill the whole domn-
ion of the Thirteen States" Chere he lugged in
lis prophetic fallacy) and there will never be
new land TO cultivate, the necessity can never
take place in America. and of course the conse-
ouences can never happen" These sentences
sound oddly in an age when the Navy has be-
come theme Of prime consideration and when
people talk Of methods for restricting mmigra-
ton lest want follow overcrowding.
The pamphlet on the claims Of Virginia 10
the Northwestern Territory was entitled Public
Good" Mos; of its conclusions would have
nit eStiO since
controversy was adjusted. But Paine with his
usual ill-luck interfered at the moment that was
worst for himself. Virgnans resented his Work;
and when at Washington's request, as Mr.. Con-
Wav saws "a bill to bestCw Paine an homo
rarium of r. 900 for his services in the Revolution
was introduced into the Virginia Legislature 1t
was lost by one vote" His defence of the Bank
Of North America, written, it was said at the
instance of Robert Morris, and published with the
title, Dissertations on Government, though IL
defeated the plan TO repeal the charter OF the
bank was another example Of the way his eager
Den made enemies. Mr.. Conways admiration Tor
Paine led him to question the statement OF Pro-
fessor " 6. Sumner that Morris hired Paine to
write Thu work. and the Professor appears to
haze confessed that he had no documents to
warrant the use of The word hired But faihe
was not obliged 10 work for mere love, and
hard-money man and an advocate of banks he
wrote nothing in the dissertations that was
against his own principles. His position respect
ing gold. silver paper and public debts was
shown IN the severe attack which he made on
Pitts government in the pamphlet published in
London under the title Prospects on the Rubi-
con" This also forms part Of this volume, as
we'll as the famous lettel correcting the errors OF
the Abba Raynal. Almost half the volume is
filed with the essay on Rights of Man" which
s,.l retains some OF its early popularity. Mr.
Conway in his introduction to this work gives an
entertaining account # the relations between
Burke end Paine who were at first personal
friends then political enemies, and who
during Pane's life in Europe. as Burke said,
"hunted In pairs" whether as allies or opponents
A number Of the pieces in the volume have never
before appeared in a collection Of Paines works