JC at j^ C C ^ 'CC ^ C CC C €aCC r ^'C- c -< ■ c:<. ' c c «cr ^^^ ■^Oj "^. CL^L^-'n.^ TESTIMONIA^LS TO THE MERITS OP THOMAS PAINE, AUTHOR OF *^ COMMON SENSE/' ^*THE CRISIS/' -^RIGHTsB ^/' ^^ ENGLISH SYSTEM OF FI^ ^^AGE OF reason/' &C., AC, OF man/' ^^ ENGLISH SYSTEM OF FINANCE,' COMPILED BY JOSEPH N. MOREAU. /c '' The World is my Country, To do Good my Rdigion.'' — Fame's Motto. BURLINGTON, N. J. : F. L. TAYLOR. 1861. A *• Entered according to Act of Congresy, in the Year One Thousand EigJU Hundred and Sixty-one, by F. L. TAYLOR, in the Clerk's Office of the District Qourt for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. X ^ AT 7 TO TH3EJ REV. M. D. CONWAY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, THE FIRST CLERGYMAN WHO HAS HAD THE MORAL COURAGE TO CHAMPION IN THE PULPIT THE CAUSE OF ONE WHOSE FAIR NAME, THOUGH NOW DEFAMED, SHALL ONE DAY DESERVEDLY SHINE FORTH AS THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE AMERICAN GALAXY, THIS LITTLE WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY HIS FRIEND, THE PUBLISHER. TO THE READER. The following little work will, perhaps, give you a more high conception of the important and merito- rious services of the " Archimedes of the Eighteenth Century'* to mankind, than could be conceived from the perusal of any ^'Life" of him ever issued from the Press ; for, instead of its being the opinion of 'one individual, and that opinion perhaps biased, it is a collection of the sentiments of some sevent}' Historians, Statesmen, Poets, and Divines, many of whom were opposed to his political, and almost all to his theological views. If it in the slightest degree adds to your appreciation of Paine, the object of the compiler will be accomplished. JOSEPH N. MOREAU. NOTE BY THE PUBLISHER. Mr. M0REAU5 having joined the Pennsylvania Volunteers, left the work more incomplete than the publisher desired. In fact, it was exceedingly diffi- cult, from the mass of testimony of like character to make selections of that which might be the most desirable for so small a work. Should Mr. Moreau return from the campaign, a similar pamphlet, con- taining the balance of testimonies, will doubtless be published. TESTIMONIALS TO THE MERITS OF THOMAS P^INE. GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON, First President of this great Eepublic, in a letter to Thomas Paine, inviting that author and patriot to par- take with him, at Eocky-hill, says : — " Your presence may remind Congress of your past services to this country, and if it is in my power to im- press them, command my best exertions with freedom, as they will be rendered cheerfully, by one Avho enter- tains a lively sense of the importance of your works/' In his letter to Eichard Henry Lee, of Yirginia, this honored hero writes : — " That his Common Sense and many of his Ciisis were were well timed and had a happy effect upon the public mind, none I believe who will turn to the epoch at which they were published, will deny. That his services have hitherto passed off unnoticed is obvious to all/' Washington to Gen. Joseph Eeed, March 1776 : " By private letters which I have lately received from Virginia, I find that " Common Sense'' is working a pow. erful change there in the minds of many men." " A few more such flaming arguments as were exhibit- ed at Falmouth and Norfolk, added to the sound doc» 8 trine and unanswerable reasoning contained in the pamphlet ^^ Common Sense/' will not leave numbers at a loss to decide on the propriety of a separation/' — Gen, Washington, to Joseph Reed, dated Cambridge, Jan, 31, 1776. JOHN ADAMS, The Second President of the United States, who spared no occasion to underrate Thomas Paine's services, and to assault his opinions and character, the transparent mo- tive being a jealousy to be considered himself the great- est mover of the ball of Independence, thus writes to his wife on the 19th of March, 1776 :— ^' You ask me what is thought of Common Sense, Sen- sible men think there are some whims, some sophisms, some artful addresses to superstitious notions, some keen attempt upon the passions, in this pamphlet. But^ all agree there is a great deal of good sense, delivered in clear, simple, concise and nervous style. His sentiments of the abilities of America, and of the difficulty of a re- conciliation with Great Britain, are generally approved.'' THOMAS JEFFERSON, The third President of the United States, and the writer of the glorious ^^Declaration of Independence,'' thus speaks of the "Author Hero,'' who first suggested it, in a letter to Francis Eppes : "You ask my opinion of Lord Bolingbrokeand Thomas Paine. They were alike in making bitter enemies of the priests and pharisees of their day. Both were 9 honest men ; both advocates for human liberty. * ^' * These two persons differed remarkably in the style of their writing, each leaving a model of what is most perfect in both extremes of the simple and the sublime. No writer has exceeded Paine in ease and familiarity of style, in perspicuity of expression, happiness of eluci- dation, and in simple and unassuming language. In this he may be compared with Dr. Franklin.^' In 1801, in a letter to Paine tendering him a passage to the United States from France, in a national vessel, Jefferson writes : "I am in hopes you will find us returned generally to sentiments worthy of former times. In these it will be your glory to have steadily labored, and with as much effect as any man living. That you may long- live to continue your useful labors and to reap the reward of the thankfulness of nations, is my sincere prayer.^^ JAMES MADISON, The Fourth President of the United States, and ex- pounder of the Constitution. In 1784, a bill was brought before the Virginia Legislature, proposing to give Mr. Paine a tract of land on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay. It was defeated by a single vote. Monroe stated that it would have been carried in his favor, had he not written ^^ Public Good.^^ It was this that called forth the following from Madison to Wash- ington : ^^ Whether a greater disposition to reward patriotic and distinguished exertions of genius will be found on any succeeding occasion, is not for me to predetermine. Should it finally appear that the merits of the man whose writings have so much contributed to infuse and 10 foster the spirit of Independence in the people of Ame- rica are unable to inspire them with a just beneficence, the world, it is to be feared, will give us as little credit for our policy as for our gratitude in this particular/' ** I believe in one God, and no more ; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man ; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and en- deavoring to make our fellow creatures happy.'* — [Thomas Paine, See *^Age of Reason J^) JAMES MONROE, The fifth President of the United States. The follow- ing extract is from a letter written by this gentleman to Paine, previous to the release from the Luxembourg of ^nhe Apostle of Liberty^' : " It is necessary for me to tell you how much all your countrymen — I speak of the great mass of the people — are interested in your welfare. They have not forgotten the history of their own Eevolution, and the difiicult scenes through which they passed; nor do they review its several stages without reviving in their bosoms a due sensibility of the merits of those who served them in that great and arduous conflict. The crime of ingratitude has not yet stained, and I hope never will stain our national character. You are considered by them as not only having rendered important services in our own Revolu- tion, but as being, on a more extensive scale, the friend of human rights, and a distinguished and able advocate in favor of public liberty. To the welfare of Thomas Paine the Americans are not, nor can they be, indif- ferent.'^ **It is unnatural and impolitic to admit men who would root up our independence to have any share in oar legislation, either as electors or representatives, because the support of our independence rests, in a great measure, on the vigor and purity of our public bodies. — {The Crisis, No. 3.) 11 GEN. ANDREW JACKSON, The ^' Hero of New Orleans/' and the seventh President of the United States, said to the venerable philan- thropist, Judge Hertell, of New York, upon the latter proposing the erection of a suitable monument to Thos. Paine : "Thomas Paine needs no monument made by hands; he has erected himself a monument in the hearts of all lovers of liberty. ^ The Rights of Man, will be more enduring than all the piles of marble or granite man can erect/' THE REPUBLICANS AND REFORMERS Of England, in 1792, looked upon Paine as the true " Apostle of Freedom/' They circulated a song to his praise, commencing " God save great Thomas Paine ! His Rights of Man proclaim From pole to poleT' {See Preface, Cheetham's Life of Paine.) " To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavor- ing to convert an Atheist with Scripture." — [The CrisiSy No. 5.) BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Who first introduced Thomas Paine to the new Avorld, says, in a letter he gave the English Exciseman recom- mending him to his son-in-law, Eichard Bache (1774) ^' The bearer, Mr. Thomas Paine, is very well recom- mended to me as an ingenious, worthy young man. He 12 goes to Pennsylvania with a view of settling there. I request you to give him your best advice and counte- nance/^ About 13 years after, Dr. Franklin gave him letters of introduction to several of the most prominent of the French " men of letters.'' The following is an extract from one to the Due de la Eochefoucauld : '' The bearer of this is Mr. Paine, the author of a famous piece entitled Common Sense, published here with great effect on the minds of the people at the beginning of the Ee volution. He is an ingenious, honest man; and as such I beg leave to recommend him to your civilities.'' TIMOTHY PITKINS, In his Political and Civil History of the United States, says : — '' Common Sense" produced a wonderful effect in the different Colonies in favor of Independence. REV. SOLOMON SOUTHWICK, Printer, politician and lecturer against Infidelity, and, at one time, the editor and publisher of The Christian Visiter, says: ^^No page in history, stained as it is with treachery and falsehood, or cold-blooded indifference to right or wi'ong, exhibits a more disgraceful instance of public ingratitude than that which Thomas Paine experienced from an age and country which he had so faithfully served. As the Tintochus of the Eevolution, and it is no exaggeration to style him such, we owe everlasting gratitude to his name and memory. Why, then, was 13 he suffered to sink into the most wretched poverty and obscurity, after having, in both hemispheres, so signally distinguished himself as the friend of liberty and man- kind ? Was his religion, or want of religion, the i-eal or affected cause ? Did not those who feared his talents, make his religion a pretext not only to treat him with cold neglect, but to strip him, if possible, of every laurel he had won in the political field, as the brilliant^ undaunted and successful advocate of freedom ? As to his religion, or no religion, God alone must be the judge and arbiter of that. No human being, no human tri- bunal, can claim a right even to censure him for it, much less to make it the pretext for defrauding him, either in life or death, of the reward due to his patriot- ism, or the legitimate fame of his exertions in the cause of suffering humanity. Had Thomas Paine been guilty of any crime, we should be the last to eulogize his me- mory. But we cannot find he ever was guilty of any other crime than that of advancing his opinions freely upon all subjects connected with public l^jberty and hap- piness. If he erred in any of his opinions, since we know that his intentions were pure, we are bound to cover his errors with the mantle of charity. We can- not say here all that we would wish to say. A brief note is insufficient to do justice to so important a sub- ject. We may, however, safely affirm that Paine's conduct in America was that of a real patriot. In the French Convention he displayed the same pure and disinterested spirit; there his humanity shone forth in his exertions to save, at the risk of his own life, the unfortunate Louis XYI from the scaffold. His life, it is true, was written by a ministerial hireling, who strove in vain to blacken his moral character. The late James Cheetham, likewise, wrote his life; and we have no hesitation in saying, that w^e knew perfectly 2 14 well at the time the motives of that author for writing and publishing a work which, we have every reason to believe, is a libel almost from beginning to end. In fact, Cheetham had become tired of this country, and had formed a plan to return to England and become a ministerial editor, in opposition to Cobbett, and his ^^Life of Paine'^ was written to pave his way back again. We, therefore, presume that he acted upon the principle that the end justified the means. * >}c * * Had Thomas Paine been a Grecian or Eoman patriot, in olden times, and performed the same public services as he did for this country, he would have had the honor of an Apotheosis. The Pantheon would have been opened to him, and we should at this day regard his memory with the same veneration that we do that of Socrates and Cicero. But posterity will do him justice. Time, that destroys envy and establishes truth, will clothe his character in the habiliments that justly be- long to it. -i^ ^ * * "VYe cannot resist the disposi- tion to say, that in suffering the home of the author of ^^ Common Sense,^' ^^Tlie Crisis,^' and ^^The Eights of Man,'' to lie neglected, in the first place; and secondly, in permitting it to be violated, and his bones shipped off to a foreign country, contrary to all the laws of de- cency and civilization, we have added nothing to the justice or dignity of our national character; and we shall rejoice if impartial history tax us not with a gross departure from both.'' '*The key of heaven is not in the keeping of any sect, nor ought the road to it to be obstructed by any. Our relation to each other in this world is as men, and the man who is a friend to man and to his rights, let his religious opinions be what they may, is a good citizen, to whom I can give, as I ought to do, and as every other ought, the right hand of fellowship." — [Fame's Leiter to Samuel Adams y Jan. 1, 1803.) 15 DB. BENJAMIN BUSH, A member from Philadelphia of the Continental Con- gress, and Signer of the Declaration of Independence^ gives the following account of the first appearance of *^ Common Sense ^\' ^^At that time there was a certain Eobert Bell, an in- telligent Scotch printer and bookseller of Philadelphia, whom I knew to be as high-toned as Mr. Paine upon the subject of Independence. I mentioned the pamphlet to him, and he at once consented to run the risk of pub- lishing it. The author and the printer were immedi- ately brought together, and ^Common Sense' bursted from the press of the latter, in a few days, with an effect which has rarely been produced by types and paper in any age or country/' "Mr. Paine's manner of life was desultory. He often visited in the families of Dr. Franklin, Mr. Eittenhouse, and Mr. George Clymer, where he made himself accept- able by a turn he discovered for philosophical as well as political subjects.'' "He (Paine) contributed much in aid of the Eevolution by publishing a pamphlet entitled ^Common Sense.'" — {Duganne's Comprehensive Sitmmary .) BICHABD HENBY LEE, A distinguished patriot of the Eevolution, and who, as member of Congress from Virginia, in 1776, first pro- posed to that body the Declaration of Independence, in returning thanks to General Washington for a copy of the Rights of Man, remarked : '^It is a performance of which any man might be proud; and I most sincerely regret that our country 16 could not have offered sufficient inducements to have retained, as a permanent citizen, a man so thoroughly republican in sentiment, and fearless in the expression of his opinion/^ In a letter of Lee to Washington, dated Chantilly, 22d July, 1784, he says : '^ The very great resj)ect that I shall ever pay to your recommendations, would have been very sufficient to have procured my exertions in favor of Mr. Paine, inde- pendent of his great public merits in our Revolution. I have a perfect knowledge of the extraordinary effects produced by that gentleman's writings; effects of such an important nature as would render it very unworthy of these States to let him suffer anywhere; but it would be culpable indeed to permit it under their own eye, and within their own limits. I had not the good fortune to be present when Mr. Paine's business was considered in the House of Delegates (of Yirginia) or, most certainly, I should have exerted myself in his behalf. I have been told that a proposition in his favor has miscarried, from its being observed that he had shown enmity to the State by having written a pamphlet (The Public Good) injurious to our claim of Western territory. It has ever appeared to me that this pamphlet was the conse- quence of Mr. Paine's being himself imposed upon; and that it was rather the fault of the place than of the man. This, however, was but a trifle, when compared with the great and essential services that his other wri- tings have done for the United States.'' **It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error. But nature has not given to every one a talent for the purpose ; and among those to whom such talent is given, there is often a want of disposition or of courage to do it." — [Paine s Examination of Testament.) 17 NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. The following is related by Clio Eickman, the Poet, who was with Paine in France : ^^ When Bonaparte returned (to Paris) from Italy, he called on Mr. Paine and invited him to dinner. In the course of his rapturous address to him, he declared that a statue of gold ought to be erected to him in every city of the universe, assuring him that he always slept with his book ^^ Eights of Man^^ under his pillow, and conjured him to honor him with his correspondence and advice.^^ Eickman then remarks on the above : ^' This anecdote is only related as a fact; of the sincerity of the compliment those must judge who know Bona- parte's principles best.^^ It might be here added, that when Napoleon meditated his invasion of England, by means of gunboats, he se- cured the services of Paine to organize a government if it proved successful. ^' Paine was in Washington's camp in December, 1776, and the first number of the ^ Crisis' was published. It was read to every Corporal's guard, and its strong and truthful language had a powerful effect in the army and among the people at large.'' — Benj. F, Lossing, in Ms Field Book of the Bemlution, vol. 2, p. 275, Note. MAJOR-GENERAL CHARLES LEE, Fourteen days after the publication of ^^ Common Sense,'^ thus wrote to General Washington : ^^ Have you seen the pamphlet ' Common Sense V I never saw such a masterly, irresistible performance. It will, if I mistake not, in concurrence with the transcend- ent folly and wickedness of the ministry, give the coup 2* 18 de grace to Great Britain. In short, I own myself con- vinced by the arguments of the necessity of separation/' General Lee, speaking of the wonderful effects of Paine's writings, said, that " He burst forth on the world like Jove in thunder V^ John Adams says that Lee used to speak of Paine as '^ the man with genius in his eyes/' WILLIAM MASSEY, In his History of England, says : '^ Thomas Paine's pamphlet. Common Sense, in which the new doctrines of liberty and equality were broadly taught, was published in America, in January, 1776, and had an immense circulation/' Extract from a letter from a gentleman in Charleston, S. C, dated February 14, 1776 : '^ AYho is the author of Common Sense ? I can hardly refrain from adoring him. He deserves a statue of •gold.'' — Pennsylvania Journal^ March 27, 1776. CHARLES WILSON PEALE, In a letter to Silas Deane, dated Philadelphia, July 28, 1779, says: << Believing Mr. Paine to be a firm friend to America, and by personal acquaintance with him, gives me an opportunity of knowing that he had done more for our common cause than the world, who had only seen his publications, could know, I thought it my duty to sup- port him." 19 AARON BURR, In hi8 compendium of the ^^Life of Paine/^ (New York, 1837) Gilbert Vale says: ^^In reply to a query which we recently put to Col. Burr, as to Mr. Paine's alleged vulgarity, intemperance and want of cleanliness, as disseminated by those who wished it true, he remarked with dignity, ' Sir, he dined at my table.' Then, am I to understand he was a gen- tleman? ^Certainly, sir,' replied Col. Burr, ^I always considered Mr. Paine a gentleman, a pleasant compa- nion, and a good-natured and intelligent man, decidedly temperate, with a proper regard to his personal appear- ance, whenever I saw him.''' JUDGE COOPER, Who Avas, according to Thomas Jefferson, ^* One of the ablest men in America, and that in several branches of science," thus wrote : " I was at Paris at this time (1792,) but previous to my going there, Mr. Paine, whom I had met at Mr. Johnson's, my bookseller, in St Paul's Churchyard, gave me letters of introduction to M. DeCondorcet, and his wife, Madame DeCondorcet, who read and spoke the English language with considerable facility. These letters introduced me to the interesting society of that very talented writer and his family. I found the letters of introduction of Mr. Paine honored with that attention which might be expected towards an estimable and dis- tinguished man. * ^k hc >}= j have dined with Mr. Paine in literary society, at Mr. Tiffins', a merchant in London, at least a dozen times, when his dress, man- ners, and conversation were such as became the charac- 20 ter of an unobtrusive, intelligent gentleman, accustomed to good society. ^ * * Paine's opinions on theologi- cal topics underwent no change before his death." HEITRY C. WRIGHT Says : — ^^ Thomas Paine had a clear idea of God. This Being embodied his highest conception of truth, love, wisdom, mercy, liberty and power.'' REV. M. D. CONWAY, In a Sermon preached in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 29th of January, 1860, said: ^' All efforts to stain the good name of Thomas Paine have recoiled on those w^io made them, like poisoned arrow^s shot against a strong wind. ^ * * In his life, in his justice, in his truth, in his adherence to high principles, in his disinterestedness, I look in vain for his parallel in those times, and in these times. I am select- ing my words; I know I am to be held accountable for them. So disinterested was he, that when his works were printed by the ten thousand, and as fast as one edition was out another was demanded, he, a poor and pinched author, w^io might very easily have grown rich, would not accept one cent for them, declared that he would not coin his principles, and made to the States a present of the copyrights. His brain was his fortune — nay, hi;3 living; he gave it all to American Inde- pendence.'' *ns, and attacked, with happy and success- ful ridicule, the principles of hereditary government. The effect of the pamphlet in making converts was astonishing, and is probably without precedent in the annals of literature.'' CHARLES JAMES FOX, The English statesman, said of Paine's 'Eights of Man:' '^It seems as clear and as simple as the first rule of arithmetic." MARY L. BOOTH, In her excellent "History of New York/^ alluding ta the opposition to Independence manifested by the masses in the early part of the struggle, says : '^At this juncture 'Common Sense' was published in Philadelphia, by Thomas Paine, and electrified the whole nation with the spirit of Independence and Liberty. This eloquent production severed the last link that bound 85 the Colonies to the mother country; it boldly gave speech to the arguments which had long been trembling on the lips of many, but which none before had found courage to utter; and, accepting its conclusions, several of the Colonies instructed their delegates, in the Conti- nental Congress, to close their eyes against the ignis fatiius of loyalty, and fearlessly to throw off their alle- giance to the Crown/' REV. WILLIAM GORDON, In his ^^ History of the Eevolution,'' says: (vol. 2, p. 78, Kew York, 1794.) '^ The publications which have appeared have greatly promoted the spirit of Independency, but no one so much as the pamphlet under the signature of ' Common Sense,' wa'itten by Mr. Thomas Paine, an Englishman. Nothing could have been better timed than this per- formance. It has produced most astonishing effects.'' GEN. WM. A. STOKES, A distinguished member of the Bar of Pennsylvania, and by no means an admirer of Paine, is obliged, like Cheetham, to confess that the author of " Common Sense" and the " Crisis" ^^ Eagerly embraced the cause of the Colonies, and W'as soon to act an important and meritorious part. When ^ Common Sense' ^as published a great blow was struck — it was felt from I^ew England to the Carolinas, it resounded throughout the w^orld. * * * * He not only reasoned, he flattered ; he availed himself of prejudice, he dealt freely in invective. For this I do not censure him ; for the tribune of the people, whose words 36 WERE TO DISMEMBER AN EMPIRE, might Well PCSOrt tO all the aids of art in accomplishing his stupendous task. * * * * Paine's brawny arm applied the torch which set the country in a flame, to be extinguished only by the relinquishment of British supremacy, and for this, irrespective of his motives and character, he merits THE gratitude OF EVERY AMERICAN.'^ SAMUEL BRYAN, Secretary to Council of Censors on Pennsylvania Con- stitution, 1776, said : " This book, ' Common Sense,' may be called the book of Genesis, for it was the beginning. From this book sprang the Declaration of Independence, that not only laid the foundation of liberty in our own country, but the good of mankind throughout the world/' CHARLES PHILLIPS, The eloquent Irish barrister, wrote the following beau- tiful tribute to Paine. It may be found in his ^^ Loves of Celestine and vSt. Hubert:" ^^ Among these, ther«f was one whom I could not help view^ing with peculiar admiration, because, by the sole power of surprising genius, he had surmounted the dis- advantages of birth and the difficulties of fortune. It was the celebrated Thomas Paine, a man w^ho, no mat- ter what may be the difference of opinion as to his prin- ciples, must ever remain a proud example of mind, un- patronized and unsupported, eclipsing the factitious beams of rank, and wealth, and pedigree! I never saw him in his captivity, or heard the revilings by w^hich he has gince been assailed, without cursing in my heart 37 that ungenerous feeling which, cold to the necessities of genius, is clamorous in the publication of its defects. * * ♦ * ^ Ye great ones of his nation! ye pretended moralists, so forward now to cast your interested indig- nation upon the memory of Paine, where were you in the day of his adversity? which of you, to assist his in- fant merit, would diminish even the surplus of your debaucheries ? where the mitred charity — the practical religion ? Consistent declaimers, rail on ! What, though his genius was the gift of heaven, his heart the altar of friendship! What, though wit and eloquence, and an- ecdote flowed freely from his tongue, while conviction made her voice his messenger! What, though thrones trembled, and prejudice fled, and freedom came at his command ! He dared to question the creed which you, believing, contradicted, and to despise the rank which you, boasting of, debased/ '' PAUL ALLEN, In his "History of the American Eevolution," says: "Among the numerous writers on this momentous question, the most luminous, the most eloquent, and the most forcible, was Thomas Paine. His pamphlet, enti- tled ' Common Sense,' was not only read, but understood, by everybody. It contained plain and simple truths, told in a style and language that came home to the heart of every man; and those who regard the inde- pendence of the United States as a blessing, will never cease to cherish the remembrance of Thomas Paine. Whatever may have been his subsequent career — in whatever light his moral or religious principles may be regarded, it should never be forgotten that to him, more than to any single individual, was owing the rapid dif- fusion of those sentiments and feelings which produced the act of separation from Great Britain." 4 38 ROBERT BISSET, LL.D., In his ^^Life of Edmund Burke/' says: ^^ A pamphlet, entitled ^ Common Sense/ published by Thomas Paine, afterwards so famous in Europe, contri- buted very much to the ratification of the independ- ence of America/' * * * In his "History of the Eeign of George III/' Bisset says: " Thomas Paine was represented (in England) as the minister of God, diffusing light to a darkened world." RICHARD HUDRETH, In his " History of the United States," says : " No little excitement was produced by the publica- tion, in Philadelphia, about this time, (1776) of ' Com- mon Sense,' a pamphlet by Thomas Paine. * * * * It argued in that plain and convincing style, for which Paine was so distinguished, the folly of any longer attempting to keep up the British connection, and the absolute necessity of a final and formal separation. Pitched exactly to the popular tone, it had a wide cir- culation throughout the Colonies, and gave a powerful impulse to the cause of independence." THOMAS CUO BICEBIAN, Author of a number of poems, tales and political pamphlets, says : ^^ Why seek occasions, surly critics and detractors, to maltreat and misrepresent Mr. Paine ? He was mild, unoffending, sincere, gentle, humble, and unassuming ; 39 his talents were soaring, acute, profound, extensive and original; and he possessed that charity which covers a multitude of sins/^ ** I ever feel myself hurt when I hear the Union, that great palladium of our liberty and safety, the least irreverently spoken of. Our citizenship in the United States is our national character, our citizenship in any particular State is only our local distinction^^ Our great title is Americans, our inferior one variee with the place." — {Thomds Paine, the Crisis, No. XY.) W. H. BARTLETT, I In his "History of the United States of America/ says : "It was at this critical period, while this feelings \ though inoperative, yet lingered in the minds of the I people, and when, although the thing itself had become familiarized to most minds as equally necessary and de- I sirable, every one held back from boldly pronouncing the [word Independence, that there appeared a pamphlet tcalled ' Common Sense,' written by Thomas Paine, the [celebrated author of the ^Rights of Man,' who had re- Icently emigrated from England, and ardently embraced the American cause. Perceiving the hesitation in the public mind, he set himself to the work of dissipating it by a clear and convincing statement of the actual position :)f affairs. He plainly exposed the impossibility of a last- ing reconciliation with England, and showed that inde- Ipendence had not only become the only safe or honor- ible course, but that it was as practicable as it was fdesirable. * * * * This pamphlet, written in a [popular and convincing style, and expressly adapted to the state of public feeling, produced an indescribable sensation. The ice was now broken; those who. 40 although convinced, had hitherto held back, came boldly forward, while many who had halted between two opi- nions now yielded to the force of necessity and em- braced the popular side/^ *'It is only by acting in union that the usurpations of foreign nations on the freedom of trade can be counteracted, and security extended to the commerce of America. And when we view a flag, which, to the eye, is beautiful, and to contemplate its rise and origin, inspires a sensation of sublime delight, our national honor must unite with our interest to prevent injury to the on^pr insul to the other."— (TViomas Paine, ** The Crisis,'' No. XVI DB. JOHN W. FRANCIS, Of New York, said : " No work had the demand for readers comparable to that of Paine. ^ The Ageof Eeason' on its first appear- ance in New York was printed as an orthodox book, by orthodox publishers, doubtless deceived by the vast re- nown which the author of ' Common Sense' had ob- tained.'^ ^^ HiB (Paine's) career was wonderful, even for the age of miraculous events he lived in. In America he was a revolutionary hero of the first rank, who carried letters in his pocket from George Washington thanking him for his services ; and he managed besides to write his name in large letters in the history of England and France.'' — (Atlantic Monthly y vol. iv, p. 16.) ^^ The Democratic movement of the last eighty years, be it a ^ finality' or only a phase of progress towards a more perfect state, is the grand historical fact of modern times, and Paine's name is intimately connected with W— (Ibid, p. 17.) 41 BENJ. F. LOSSING Says : ^^ It (Common Sense) was the earliest and most powerful appeal in behalf of independence, and probably did more to fix that idea firmly in the public mind than any other instrumentality/^ — {Field Book of Revolution^ vol. ii,p, 274.) " The flame of desire for absolute independence glow- ed in every patriot bosom at the beginning of 1776, and the vigorous paragraphs of ^ Common Sense/ andkin- dred publications, laboring with the voice of impas- sioned oratory at every public gathering of the people, uncapped the volcano/' — (Ibidj p. 277.) ** It is otAj in the creation that all our ideas and conceptions of a word of Grod can unite. The creation speaketh a universal lan- guage, independently of human speech, or human language, multi- plied and various as they be. It is an ever existing original which every man can read. It cannot he forged ; it cannot be counter- feited ; it cannot be lo^ ; it cannot be altered ; it cannot be sup- pressed. It doea not depend upon the will of man whether it shall be published or not ; it publishes itself from one end of the earth to the other. It preaches to all nations and to all worlds, and this word of God reveals to man all that is necessary for man to know of God. Do we want to contemplate his power ? "We see it in the immensity of the creation. Do we want to contemplate his wis- dom ? We see it in the unchangeable order by which the incom- prehensible whole is governed. Do we want to contemplate his munificence ? We see it in the abundance with which he fills the earth. Do we want to contemplate his mercy ? We see it in his not withholding that abundance even from the unthankful." — (Fame's ^^ Age of Reason,'^ page 26.) DR. LADD, A prominent poet of the Eevolution, and, of course, like Ramsay, Allen, Botta, Gordon, and others, cited in this 4* 42 little work, a cotemporary of Thomas Paine, pays the following eloquent and glowing tribute to that remark- able man : ^^ Long live the man, in early contest found, Who spoke his heart when dastards trembled round ; Who, fired with more than Greek or Eoman rage, Flashed truth on tyrants from his manly page — Immortal Paine ! whose pen surprised we saw, Could fashion Empires while it kindled awe. When first with awful front to crush her foes. All bright in glittering arms, Columbia rose, From thee our sons the generous mandate took, As if from Heaven some oracle had spoke ; And when thy pen revealed the grand design, ^Twas done — Columbia's liberty was thine/' *' It is certain that, in one point, all nations of the earth and all religions agree ; all believe in a God ; the things in which they dis- agree are the redundancies annexed to that belief ; and, therefore, if ever an universal religion should prevail, it will not be believing anything new, but getting rid of redundancies, and believing as man first believed. Adam, if ever there was such a man, was created a Deist ; but in the meantime let every man follow, as he has a right to do, the religion and worship he prefers." — {Age of Reason, p. 58. ) JAMES CHEETflAM, The notorious apostate, speaking of whose ^^Life of Paine/' a Christian cotemporary* of his remarked, ^'we have every reason to believe it is a libel almost from BEGINNING TO END,'' is Compelled to admit, speaking of Paine's ^Common Sense,' that: (See ^^Life of Paine,'' pp. 45-6.) ^ Solomon Southwick. 43 ^^This pamphlet, of 40 octavo pages, holding out re- lief by proposing Independence to an oppressed and despairing people, was published in January, 1776. Speaking a language which the Colonists had felt but not thought, its popularity, terrible in its consequences to the parent country, was unexampled in the history of the press. At first, involving the Colonists, it was thought, in the crime of rebellion, and pointing to a road leading inevitably to ruin, it was read with indig- nation and alarm, but when the reader, (and everybody read it) recovering from the ifirst shock, reperused it, its arguments, nourishing his feelings and appealing to his pride, re-animated his hopes and satisfied his under- standing, that ^ Common Sense,^ backed by the resources and forces of the Colonies, poor and feeble as they were, could alone rescue them from the unqualified oppression with which they were threatened/' ^^His pen was an appendage to the army of Independence as necessary and as formidable as its cannon. Having no property he fared as the army fared. * * * When the Colo- nists drooped, he revived them with a ^Crisis.' The object of it was good, the method excellent, and the language suited to the depressed spirits of the army/' — (^Life of PainCy page 55.) JAMES THOMPSON CALLENDER, In his "Sketches of the History of America," says: (1798.) ^^On titles Thomas Paine has written with great suc- cess; and this is one reason why the friends of order hate him. Abuse of this author is now as naturally expected in a federal newspaper as tea and chocolate in a grocer's store. To such things compare two resolu- 44 tions of Congress of the 26th August, and 3d October, 1785. In consequence of his ^ early, unsolicited, and continued labors in explaining and enforcing the prin- ciples of the late Eevolution, by ingenious and timely publications, upon the nature of liberty and civil govern- ment,' they direct the board of treasury to pay him three thousand dollars. This attestation outweighs the clamor of the six per cent, orators. They dread, they revile, and, if able, they would persecute Thomas Paine, because he possesses talents and courage suflS.- cient to rend assunder thtg mantle of speculation, and to delineate the rickety growth of our public debt.'' ■X- * ^ * ** Wishing ye may always fully and uninterruptedly enjoy every civil and religious right; and be in your turn the means of securing it to others, but that the example which ye have unwisely set, of mingling religion with politics, may he disavowed andreprohatedby^Y^^Y inhabitant of America " — [Paine' s ^^Addi^ess to Quaker s.'^) CHARLES BOTTA, An Italian patriot, historian, and physician, who fought for American Independence, and who must have been a good judge of the influence and merits of Paine's- writings, says : " At this epoch appeared a writing entitled ' Common Sense ]' it was the production of Thomas Paine, born in England, and arrived not long before in America. No writer, perhaps, ever possessed, in a higher degree, the art of moving and guiding the multitude at his will. It may be aflfirmed, in effect, that this work was one of the most powerful instruments of American Independence. The author endeavored, with very plausible arguments, to demonstrate that the opposition of parties, the diver- 46 sity of interests, the arrogance of the British Govern- ment, and its ardent thirst of vengeance, rendered all reconciliation impossible. On the other hand, he en- larged upon the necessity, utility, and possibility of In- dependence. >K ^ * The success of this writing of Paine cannot be described,^^ ••01 ye that love mankind I ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth ! Every spot in the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the Globe, Asia and Africa have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O ! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for man- kind." — {Paine's " Common Sense.'^) THOMAS GASPET, In his "History of England,^^ says: ^^At this period the celebrated Thomas Paine had entered upon his career as a public writer. In January, 1776, his pamphlet, entitled ^Common Sen se,^ appeared. That able production has been said to have been the joint composition of Paine, Dr. Franklin, Mr. Samuel and John Adams. Paine, however, denies that they in any way directly assisted him ; to the two latter gentle- men he was not known at the time. He had been in- troduced to Franklin in England. * * * jf« ^ Paine was originally a member of the Society of Friends, and brought up as a staymaker at Thetford. Subse- quently he obtained a situation in the excise, but left it to become an assistant in a school; he became an ex- ciseman again, and a pamphlet which he wrote caused him to be noticed by Franklin, who advised him to visit America. ^Common Sense' opened with reflections on the origin and design of government, and it then pro- 46 ceeded with a vigorous hand to expose the abuses which had crept into the English system. * * * * The clear and powerful style of Paine made a prodigious impression on the American people. ***** He was treated with great consideration by the mem- bers of the Eevolutionary Government, who took no step of importa7ice without consulting himJ^ '' The world may know, that as far as we approve of monarchy, in America the law is king, ^' — (^Common Sense, p, 46.) STEPHEN SIMPSON, Author of a ^^Life of Stephen Girard/' &c., says, in his ^^ Lives of Washington and Jefferson with a Parallel:'' ^^To these followed pamphlets and essays; among which stood in bold and prominent relief, distinguished for its eloquence, patriotism, and energy, the ^Common Sense' of Thomas Paine ; which, combining great force of language, and power of argument with an irresistible array of facts and principles, too obvious to be denied and too reasonable to be confuted, carried conviction to every mind at the same time that they enlisted the- most ardent feelings in the cause of liberty and inde- pendence 'j agitating the calm and temperate with a glowing love of country, and infusing irresistible enthu- siasm into the bosoms of the ardent champions of the ^Eights of Man.'. * * * Lucid in his style, forcible in his diction, and happy in his illustrations, he threw the charms of poetry over the statue of reason, and made converts to liberty as if a power of fascination pre- sided over his pen. * * * The writings of Thomas Paine have been admitted to have had more influence 47 in the accomplishment of the separation of the Colonies from the Mother Country than any other cause. * * To the genius of Thomas Paine, as a popular writer^ and to that of George Washington, as a prudent, skillful, and consummate general, are the American people indebted for their rights, liberties and independence. The high opinion of Paine, entertained by Washington, and pub- licly expressed by the latter, sheds fresh lustre on the incomparable merits of the great leader of the Army of the Eevolution/' BAINES, THE HISTORIAN, In his ^^Wars of the Ke volution,'^ says, speaking of the influence of Paine's political writings in England: ^^ As the current of popular opinion did not flow in the same direction as the favor of the Court, a pamphlat, entitled the ^Eights of Man/ in which sentiments of an opposite kind were maintained with peculiar asperity and animadversion, was read and circulated in such a manner as to alarm the administration. Editions were multiplied in every form and size; it was alike seen in the hands of the noble and of the plebeian, and became, at length, translated into the various languages of Eu- rope. The cabinet council soon after issued a proclama- tion against ^ picked and seditious libels,' prosecutions were commenced with a zeal unknown under the go- vernment of the reigning family; and it was reserved for the singular fortune of an unlettered man, after contributing by one publication to the establishment of a transatlantic republic iii North America, to introduce, with astonishing eflect, the doctrines of democratic go- vernment into the first states of Europe.'^ 48 HENRY G. WATSON, In his ^^ History of the United States/^ says: •^A pamphlet, entitled ^Common Sense/ written by Thomas Paine, arguing, in plain language, the advan- tage and necessity of Independence, effected a complete revolution in the feelings and sentiments of the great mass of the people/^ "The Almighty Lecturer, by displaying the principles of science in the structure of the universe, has invited man to study and to imitation. It is as if He had said to the inhabitants of this globe, that we call ours, * I have made an earth for man to dwell upon, and I have rendered the starry heavens visible to teach him science and the arts. He can now provide for his own comfort, and LEARN FROM MY MUNIFICENCE TO ALL TO BE KIND TO EACH OTHER.' " — {Paine's ''Age of Eeaso7i,'' p. 33.) FRANCIS OLDYS, (George Chalmers,) In his ^^ Life of Paine/' says : "Notwithstanding the reviews of criticism, our author received the applause of party. Nay, Philology camC; in the person of Home Tooke, who found out his retreat after some enquiry, to mingle her cordial congratula- tions with the thanks of greater powders. ' You are/ said he, ' like Jove, coming down upon us in a shower of goUr' '* If there is a sin superior to every other, it is that of wilful and oifensive war. Most other sins are circumscribed within various limits, that is, the power of one man cannot give them a very general extension, hut he who is the author of war, lets loose the whole contagion of hell, and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death."— (**7%k * Paine's merits and de- merits were all popular. His errors were broad and his virtues hearty. There was nothing small or mean about him. He was a strong man all through. The man who was the confidant of Burke, (before the un- happy days when Burke's reason failed him,) the coun- sellor of Franklin, and the friend and colleague of Washington, must have had great qualities. ^ * * * If Paine was coarse, he had capacity and integrity; if the oak was gnarled, it had strength — if the ore was rough, there was gold in it. * * * ^ Let us do justice to him.'' EKKATA. Page 7, "Washington, line 13, read epocha for epoch. Page 8, Adams, line 10, read attempts for attempt. Page 12, South wick, dele Rev. Page 12, *' line 3, read Visitant for Visiter. Page 12, *< line 9, read Tyrtceus for Tintochus. '^^^^^s^- PRICE V3 TESTIMONIA.^ TO THE MERITS OF THOMAS PAINE, AUTHOR OF ^^ COMMON SENSE/' "THE CRISIS/' " RIGHTS OF man/' "ENGLISH SYSTEM OF FINANCE/' "AGE OF reason/' &C.. &C.. COMPILED BY JOSEPH N. MOREAU. *' The World is my Country, To do Good my Religion." — Fame's Motto. BURLINGTON, IST. J.: F. L. TAYLOR, BOX 118, P. O. 1861. M **^ ^ '3^^- ■^=6^^ ^ CALVIN BLANCHARD, ^ No. 76 Nassau Street, NeMr York, PUBLISHES AND HAS FOR SALE THE LIFE OE THOMAS PAINE; Mover of the ^'Decla- ration of Independence;" Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the first American Congress; Member of the National Convention of France; Author of "Common Sense," "The Crisis," "Rights of Man," "Age of Reason," &c : THE MAIS, whose motto was — "7/?e World is my Country; to do Good, my Beligion.'" Embracing Practical Considerations on Human JRights; demonstrating that Man tends irrepressibly to Actual Freedom; and showing A Liberty- Aim Connection in the action of the World's Three Great Author-Heroes — Rousseau, Paine and Cojjte. By the Author of " The Religion of Science." With elegantly engraved Portraits of Rous- seau, Paine, and Comte. 12mo. cloth, 50 PAIXE S THEOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL WOKKS, (with Life) 2 vols., 12mo $2 00 PAINE'S POLITICAL WOPvKS, 1 vol., 12mo 1 00 PAINE'S THEOLOGICAL WOEKS, (with Life) 1 vol., 12mo 1 00 PAINE'S AGE OF EEASON, in ppr. cover, 25@., in cloth, 37 igf^All the above Works have just been published on large, new type, on very fine paper, and in substantial binding, and sent by mail Free of Postage. MOSS, BROTHER & CO., IE MANUFACTURERS OF BLANK. ACCOUNT k MEMORANDUM BOOKS, JW"o. 430 Jflarhet Street^ JPhiladeiphia, Publish, and will send to any address, /ree of postage, on receipt of price : THOMAS PAINE'S POLITICAL AND THEO- LOGICAL WORKS. New and improved edition, complete in 2 vols , 12mo, cloth, with Steel Portrait and View of his Monument at New Kochelle Price, $2 50 Either Volume separately , '' 1 25 PAINE'S AGE OF REASON. Paper ^' 25 - ^ C C' ^^:c'''C< <^CC C C c ^^^ c <^c r... x[ 4^- '••:. < ^^r ^^f?^ 5^ 9 f < r ." c €1 CCC ^ -cri c-e ^^ : CC ^ C XlCC *6t <^__'<^.C'.- '' ■ 5; J"'' c 4igflH Ccr«c<: r c" 'i ^^ 5 <^ - '-' ^SKL^ C