The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 1. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England; to which is added a Sketch of Paine by William CobbettConway, Moncure Daniel
Religion
The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 1. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England; to which is added a Sketch of Paine by William Cobbett
Conway, Moncure Daniel
Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809
"The project of hereditary Governors and Legislatures was a treasonable
usurpation over the rights of posterity."
"Put a country right, and it will soon put government right."
"When the rich plunder the poor of his rights, it becomes an example to
the poor to plunder the rich of his property."
"Who are those that are frightened at reform? Are the public afraid
their taxes should be lessened too much? Are they afraid that sinecure
places and pensions should be abolished too fast? Are the poor afraid
that their condition should be rendered too comfortable?"
"A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be."
"If to expose the fraud and imposition of monarchy, and every species
of hereditary government--to lessen the oppression of taxes--to propose
plans for the education of helpless infancy, and the comfortable support
of the aged and distressed--to endeavour to conciliate nations with each
other--to extirpate the horrid practice of war--to promote universal
peace, civilization, and commerce--and to break the chains of political
superstition, and raise degraded man to his proper rank--if these things
be libellous, let me live the life of a Libeller, and let the name of
Libeller be engraven on my tomb."
Two eminent personages were burnt in effigy in Europe about this time,
one in France, the other in England: Paine and the Pope.
Under date of December 19th, the American minister (Morris) enters in
his diary: "Several Americans dine with me. Paine looks a little down at
the news from England; he has been burned in effigy."
This was the reply of the Addressers, the noblemen and gentry, to
Paine's "Letter." It is said that on the Fifth of November it was hinted
to the boys that their Guy Fawkes would extort more pennies if labelled
"Tom Paine," and that thenceforth the new Guy paraded with a pair of
stays under his arm. The holocaust of Paines went on through December,
being timed for the author's trial, set for the eighteenth. One gets
glimpses in various local records and memoirs of the agitation in
England. Thus in Mrs. Henry Sandford's account of Thomas Poole,* we read
in Charlotte Poole's journal:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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