New-York tribune., 1902-06-04
CAREER OF THOMAS PAINE.
WHAT MONCURE D. CONWAY SAYS OF
THE STATEMENTS REFLECT
ING UPON HIS ACTS.
To the Editor of The Tribune

ING UPON HIS ACTS.
To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In his letter The Tribune on May -
Union Springs begins with a general appeal
to my work Paine for the substantiation Of his
alleged facts" and may have unintentonally con-
veyed to your readers impression of some re-
sponsibility my part for his particular state
ments. l therefore beg space for the subjoned
rectifcations
First-"With respect to Paine's III treatment OF
his second wife have distinct declaration OF
his mother" There is declaration. The mother,
far away in Norfolk hears reports, and writes
to inquire II they true They were not true
The sworn statement OF Paines wife in 1890 shows
that their separation by agreement ne gave
her all hts rights in their property. This can
assert" says RIcknan. that Paine always spoke
tenderly and respectfully Of his wife. and sent
her several times pec,niary aid. without her even
knowing whence il came" When Oldys published
the letter OF Paines mother to his wife there was
no need that Paine should contradict 1t, for oIoys
himself confessed that the rumors were 'eXaS-
gerated by enmity or misstated by malice and
Paines kindiness was too characteristic for any
one who knew him TO suspect him OF vile treat
ment' of his wife-hy which phrase the inquiring
mother could hardly have meant anything more
than that he had left his wife. Such was not tho
fact. Paine's wife fanatical Calvinist and
very ignorant No word ever quoted from
her against Paine. She is not mentioned IN MS
will not being alive when ii was written
Second-.'He was dismissed from his post as an
exciseman making false entries in his returns
Not So Every entry was proper. only on one par
ticular day-one ony-the returns were not signed
on the premises Paine might have been too III
to make the ride that day. and requested the
victualers to send him their usual statements.
In his petition for restoration Paine says: NO
cou7plafnt of the least dishonesty intempcrance
ever appeared against me-" and had 1t been other
wise the board would not have at once entered
the minute. Ordered that he be restored" etc
His second dismissal was because he left his post
temporarily 20 escape arrest for debt, before he
couId have time to make his possessions 70
his creditors which he did. That he did nothing
dishonorable is proved by the fact that he re-
tained the friendship of the Commissioner OF EN-
else George Lewis Scott, by whom he was after
ward introduced TO Franklin: who. introducing
Paine to his son-in-law, Richard Bache. wrote:
The bearer Mr Thomas Paine. is very well
recommended TO me as an ingenious worthy young
man"
Third-''While occupying the position Secretary
to the Committee Foreign Affairs he published
an official secret and was In consequence forced
10 resign his Office Paine published no official
secret. There being no committee at the time
Paine revealed and defeated the fraudulent at
tempt of a ring to extort several millions from
the country which would have crippled the heV"-
luton Nor was he forced to resign. SeVeral mo-
tions for his dismissal were lest
Fourth-"He afterward made a scandalous at
tack on his benefactor CWashing tom. Paine mad
been a benefactor of Washington; when an ehort
was made to supersede Washington in command. a
Crisis" written by Paine did much to defeat the
scheme When Paine in prison in Paris-ten
rnnnths-he received word or inquiry from
Washington. This due to the ueachery or
Washington's minister in Paris. who had assured
washington he doing all he could Tor falhe'
whereas he was doing all he could against MN.
Sunnosine he had been abandoned TO fmprson-
rnent and the narrowly escapedp suIioIhe oS
washington. Paine wrote the bitter letter
FYfth-"He subscribed money to further French
invasion of his native land (England).' England
was at the head of a league of monarchs waging
war on France the ally of America. without whose
aid in Jeffersons opinion, our independence would
not have been won. Paine believed that the world
could have peace until England saw Wv war at
ror as yet an ardent republican, proposed to take
eroaEirg there in prison, and found an English
republic. For this Paine outiawed by Enganu, @
subscribed. Being myself peacG1tt-3n! ht AMP ,pfIce zee
man, l do not approve or the act but Know no
"SGt SiXthMasThere is evidence-an attempts to
useless-that after his return to this country he
sought for consolation in the sordid and solitary
bottle" Barlow witness; he had just re
turned from Europe was was IN Washington ton and d, had
beefham Hft s1vm whe working on his book on Paine
wrote TO get a letter to print from Earlow, and
pointed him by saying. He was great drunkard
here" Barlow supposed it true. but it false.
During those last years Paine wrote continually
what DR. Romaine prescribed, but l can discover
instance or drunkenness
Sevcnth-"Mme. Bonneville. the wife of of
Paine's friends who left her husband. followed
Paine 10 this country, and here for a while-to
nut It euphemsticay-ke house for him" Nine
bonneville did not leave her husband. whom
she was devoted. When Paine came out of prison.
feeble and depressed, the Bonnevilles took him to
their home. and he lived there six years. Bonne-
yilles paper suppressed and himself impris-
oned for calling Bonaparte "a Cromwell" When
he came from prison, Paine persuaded Bonneville,
now Impoverished, to emigrate with his wife and
two children America promising TO support
them But Bonneville under surveillance and
was forbidden TO leave Paris, So they remained
IN utter poverty. But some time later Bonneville
felt that they were all in danger, and persuaded
his wife 10 go. with their children to America
She lived for a time in house owned by Paine
IN Rordentown, n. j., where Paine never went;
then boarded in New-York and taught French.
one summer she went with her two children to
Paine's farm in New-Rochele. and kept the mousse
for few months-this being the only time they
was then an invalid. in his sxty-ninth wear md
Nine Bonneville under thirty. No scandal was
dreamed of by any neighbors; after Nine Ronne-
Vile finding the place dull had returned to New
York and her were sent to school (Pavne
paying all expensesl, the old author found home
with The Bayeaux ladies' Epscopalians who GER
tainiy would not have been friends of an immoral