full account of what happened in a letter addressed to the Norwich Mercury in 1819. From this ac- count it seems that Charles Collins told Cobbett that Paine had recanted. Cobbett called for the testi- mony, and told Mr. Collins that he must give time, place, and the circumstances. He finally brought a statement that he stated had been made by Mary Hinsdale. Armed with this document Cobbett, in October of that year, called upon the said Mary Hinsdale, at No. 10 Anthony street, New York, and showed her the statement. Upon being questioned by Mr. Cobbett she said, "That it was so long ago that she could not speak positively to any part of the matter--that she would not say that any part of the paper was true--that she had never seen the paper --and that she had never given Charles Collins authority to say anything about the matter in her name." And so in the month of October, in the year of grace 1818, in the mist and fog of forgetful- ness disappeared forever one Mary Hinsdale--the last and only witness against the intellectual honesty of Thomas Paine. _Did Thomas Paine live the life of a drunken beast, and did he die a drunken, cowardly and beastly death?_ Upon you rests the burden of substantiating these infamous charges. 471 You have, I suppose, produced the best evidence in your possession, and that evidence I will now pro- ceed to examine. Your first witness is Grant Thor- burn. He makes three charges against Thomas Paine, 1st. That his wife obtained a divorce from him in England for cruelty and neglect. 2d. That he was a defaulter and fled from England to Amer- ica. 3d. That he was a drunkard. These three charges stand upon the same evidence --the word of Grant Thorburn. If they are not all true Mr. Thorburn stands impeached. The charge that Mrs. Paine obtained a divorce on account of the cruelty and neglect of her husband is utterly false. There is no such record in the world, and never was. Paine and his wife separated by mutual consent. Each respected the other. They remained friends. This charge is without any foun- dation in fact. I challenge the Christian world to produce the record of this decree of divorce. Accord- ing to Mr. Thorburn it was granted in England. In that country public records are kept of all such de- crees. Have the kindness to produce this decree showing that it was given on account of cruelty or admit that Mr. Thorburn was mistaken. Thomas Paine was a just man. Although sepa- rated from his wife, he always spoke of her with 472 tenderness and respect, and frequently sent her money without letting her know the source from whence it came. Was this the conduct of a drunken beast? The second charge, that Paine was a defaulter in England and fled to America, is equally false. He did not flee from England. He came to America, not as a fugitive, but as a free man. He came with a letter of introduction signed by another Infidel, Benjamin Franklin. He came as a soldier of Free- dom--an apostle of Liberty.