The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-10-05
There Are Two Of Them.

It is with something akin TO genu-
inc qualification that we are able to
satisfy in measure, at least, the
craving which the esteemed Washing
ton Post has to learn something of the
character and personality of! the Hon.
Robert Treat Paine. 1t seems, indeed,
that there are really two Of them,
but that only one has any business in
being on the face of the earth. The
other one, the fellow who ought not
to be at all, lives, we believe, some
where in Brooklyn. The public only
became aware of his existence through
q. brief but luminous correspondence
which took place between himself and
his Boston namesake on one occasion.
IL seems that the person in Brooklyn
was somewhat inconyenienced few
3yearsaeo By receiving certain dividend
checks which we're intended for the
Gentleman IN Boston. He returned
these checks to the senders, and when
he subsequently received other checks
he had, what be thought was the
courtesy, to send them direct to their
real owner. Whereupon, by way of
thanks, he received letter, from
3 -hich the following is said to be an
e. 3ct:
vour letter with its enclosure has
.boen received by me. hope you will
allow me to express my sincere regret
that Won should bear the name that
by right of lineal descent belongs to
me and my family here in Boston.
There is no other direct male descend
ant of Robert Treat Paine. signer OF
the Declaration of independence, who
was the first. to bear that name. If
the name was g ven to you out Of
honor. to the signer T think such a
practice should not receive the sane
tion OF thoughtful persons,
Now, Mr.. Robert Treat Paine, OF
Brooklyn, though not known as pub
licist, a politician or an arlstocfat,
was proud of spirit in his own parti-
cular way. He had not been accus-
toned to-, sitting up nights to prune
his genealogical tree, but he neverthe-
less felt that he was entitled to some
consideration because of his own in
dividual work and worth. He object
ed strenuously to the peremptory re-
buke administered to him by the
naughty Puritan for no better reason
than that their names happened to pc
Identical, and. be sought to assert his
right to life, liberty, the pursuit OF
happiness, and incidentally to be
named what he pleased. So this is
what he wrote:
50 For the reason chat it is impossi-
hle to stop the bray OF the donkey
without killing the ass, will allow
you to express your sincere regret.
Tue family to which l have the honor
to belong existed for many years prior
to the signing of the Declaration of
Independence, and your statement that
the signer was the first to bear the
name suggests thoughts as to his
antecedents. have never been suhi-
GENTLY Interested o look up my gen.
ea1ogy, and 1 certainly shall never
attempt it now, lest I might find that
rone OF its withered branches reached
out TO you.
AS the correspondence between the
Robert Treat Paines abruptly ceases
at this point, further informatin con-
cerning them is not available. The
incident should, however. greatly
senlighten the. esteemed Washington
Post, as to who the Hon. Robert Treat
Paine is, even ifit fails to explain to
our esteemed contemporaries why he
Us still at large. News and Cour-
4ier..