The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and EnglandConway, Moncure Daniel
History
The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England
Conway, Moncure Daniel
Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809
"And as it was about seven or eight o'clock in the morning of this day
8th Nivose, being worn out with fatigue, and forced to take some food,
we postponed the end of our proceeding till eleven o'clock of the same
day, when, desiring to finish it, we went with Citizen Thomas Paine to
Britain House, where we found Citizen Barlow, whom Citizen Thomas Paine
informed that we, the Commissaries, were come to look into the papers,
which he said were at his house, as announced in our preceding paragraph
through Citizen Dellanay, his interpreter; We, Commissary of the Section
of the Unity, undersigned, with the Citizens order-bearers, requested
Citizen Barlow to declare whether there were in his house, any papers
or correspondence belonging to Citizen Thomas Paine; on which, complying
with our request, he declared there did not exist any; but wishing to
leave no doubt on our way of conducting the matter, we did not think it
right to rely on what he said; resolving, on the contrary, to ascertain
by all legal ways that there did not exist any, we requested Citizen
Barlow to open for us all his cupboards; which he did, and after having
visited them, we, the abovesaid Commissary, always in the presence of
Citizen Thomas Paine, recognized that there existed no papers belonging
to him; we also perceived that it was a subterfuge on the part of
Citizen Thomas Paine who wished only to transfer himself to the house of
Citizen Barlow, his native friend (_son ami natal_) whom we invited to
ask of Citizen Thomas Paine his usual place of abode; and the latter
seemed to wish that his friend might accompany him and be present at the
examination of his papers. Which we, the said Commissary granted him,
as Citizen Barlow could be of help to us, together with Citizen Etienne
Thomas Dessous, interpreter for the English language, and Deputy
Secretary to the Committee of General Surety of the National Convention,
whom we called, in passing by the said Committee, to accompany us to
the true lodging of the said Paine, Faubourg du Nord, Nro. 63. At which
place we entered his rooms, and gathered in the Sitting-room all
the papers found in the other rooms of the said apartment. The said
Sitting-room receives light from three windows, looking, one on
the Garden and the two others on the Courtyard; and after the most
scrupulous examination of all the papers, that we had there gathered,
none of them has been found suspicious, neither in French nor in
English, according to what was affirmed to us by Citizen Dessous our
interpreter who signed with us, and Citizen Thomas Paine; and we, the
undersigned Commissary, resolved that no seal should be placed, after
the examination mentioned, and closed the said minutes, which we declare
to contain the truth. Drawn up at the residence, and closed at 4 p.m.
in the day and year abovenamed; and we have all signed after having read
the minutes.
"(Signed): Thomas Paine. Joel Barlow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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