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Volume IV.]
LOUISVILLE, (GEORGIA) Published every Wednefday, by AMBROSE DAY & JAMES HELY, State Printers,
at 3 dollars per ann.W here Ellays, Articles of Intelligence, Advertisements, ike. occ. are thankfully received,
and PRINTING in ail its variety, is executed with neatnefs and diJpatch.
From the National Intellip-encer.
THOMAS PAINE,
TO THE CITIZEN'S OF THE
UNITED STATES.
LETTER the THIRD. y
T 0 eleCl, and to rejeft,
is the prerogative of a free
people.
Since the eftabliftimcnt of in
dependence no period has ar
rived that fo decidedly proves
the excellence of the rep rc tenta
tive fyftem of government, and
its fnperiority over every other,
as the time we now live in.
Had America been curled with
John Adams’s hereditary monar
chy, or Alexander Hamilton’s
Senate for life , Hie muft have
fought, in the doubtful conteft
of civil war, what fne now ob
tains by the expreflicn of the
public will. An appeal to elec
tions decides better than an ap
peal to the fword.
The reign of terror that rag
ed in America during the latter i
time of the Wafhington admi
niftration, and the whole of that
of Adams, is enveloped in myf
tery to me. That there were
men in the government hoftile
to the reprefentative fyftem,
though it is now their overthrow,
was once their boaft, and there
fore the fa<st is eftablifhed againft
them.—But that fo la*gc a mafs
of the people fhould become
the dupes of thofe who were
loading them with taxes, in or
der to load them with chains
and deprive them of the right
of elcdlion, can be afcribed only
to that fpecies of wild-fire rage,
lighted up by falfhood, that not
only aCts without reflection, but
is too impetuous to make any.
There is a general and link
ing difference between the ge
nuine effeCls of truth, itfelf, and
the effects of falfhood believed
ro be truth. Truth is naturally
beneign j but falfhood believed
to be truth is always furious.
The former delights in ferenity,
is mild and perfuafive, and feeks
not the auxiliary aid of inven
tion. The latter flicks at no
thing, It has naturally no mo
rals. Every lie is welcome that
fuits its purpofe. It is the in
nate character of the thing
to aft in this manner, and the
criterion by which it may
be known whether in politics
or religion. When any thing
is attempted to be fupported by
lying, it is prefumptive evidence
that the thing fo fupported is a
lie alfo. The flock on which a
lie can be engrafted muft be of
the fame fpecies as the graft.
What is become of the migh
ty clamor about French inva
sions, and the cry that our
THE LOUISVILLE GAZETTE;
A D
REPUBLICAN TRUMPET.
V E D N E S D A A , December 'll, isoa.
LIBERTY IS OUR MOTTO si HD TJtU'J it OUR tIUJDR
country is in danger and faxes
and armies mufi be railed to
defend it ? The danger is fled
with the fad ion that created it,
and what is worfi of all the mo
ney is fled too.—ft is I only that
have committed the hoftiiity of
invafion, and all the artillery of
pop-guns are prepared for ac
tion. Peer fellows, how they
foam ! they let half their own
partizans, in laughter; for a
mong ridiculous things nothing
is more ridiculous than ridiculous
rage. But 1 hope they will not
leave of], I Shall lofe half my
greatnefs when they ceafe to lie.
So far as rdpeds m) Self I
have reafon to believe and a
right to fay, that the leaders of
the reign of terror in America,
and the leaders of the reign of
terror in France, during the
time of Robelpiere, were in
charader the fame fort of men,
or how is it to be accounted for,
that I was perfecuted by both at
the fame time. When 1 was
voted out of the French con
vention the reafon afiigned for it
was, that I was a foreigner.
When Robefpicre had me Seiz
ed in the night and impriToned
in the Luxemburg (where I re
mained eleven months) he af
figned no reafon for it. But
when he propofed bringing me
to the tribunal, which was like
fending me at once to the Scaf
fold, he then afiigned a reafon,
and the reafon wa tc for the in
ter eft of America as well as of
France ” —Pour T interet de I'A
merique aidant que de la France.
The words are in nis own hand
writing and reported to the
convention by the committee
appointed to examine his papers,
and are printed in their report,
with this refhdion added to
them, “ Why Thomas Paine more
than another ? hecaufe he contri
buted to the liberty of both
worlds A
There mufi have been a coa
lition in Sentiment, if not in fad,
between the terrorifis of Ame
rica and the terrorifis of France,
and Robefpieremufthave known
it, or he could not have had the
idea of putting America into the
bill of accufation againft me.
Yet thefe men, thefe terrorifis
of the new world, who were wait
ing in the devotion of their
hearts for the joyful news of my
deftrudion, are the fame _ ban
ditti who are now bellowing in
all the hackneyed language of
hackneyed hypocrify, about hu
manity, and piety, and often
about Something they call infi
delitv, and thev finifti with the
chorus of crucify him, crucifybim.
I nni become fo famous among
them they cannot eat nor drink
without me. 1 Serve them as a
handing dim, and they cannot
make up a bill of fare if I am
not in it.
But there is one difii, and that
the choicefi of all, they have
not yet prefented on the table,
and it is time they fliould. They
have not yet accifed providence
of infidelity. Yet, according to
their outrageous pietv, She mufi
be as bad as Tom I’aine ; fhe
has proteded him in all his d n
gers, patronifed him in all his
undertakings, encouraged him
in all his ways, and rewarded
him at Infi by bringing him in
Safety and in health to the pro
mifed land. This is more than
file ditl by the Jews, the cho
fen people, that they tell ns fhe
brought out of the land of Egypt
and out of the houfe of bon
dage ; for they all died in the
wildernefs and Molts too.
I was one of the nine mem
bers that compofcd the fitfi
committee of conftitution.—
Six of them have been defiroy
od, Seyies and myfelf have
Survived. He by bending with
the times and I by not bending.
The other Survivor joined Ro
hefpiere and Signed with him
the warrant for my arrefiation.
After the fall of Robefpicre he
was Seized and imprifoned in
his turn and Sentenced to tranl
portation. He ha Since apolo
gised to rne for having Signed
the warrant, by faying, he felt
him Self in danger and was oblig
ed to do it.
Herault Serhelles, an ac
quaintance of Mr. JeffcrSon and
a good patriot, was my Suppli
ant as a member of the com
mittee of confiitucion, that is
he was to Supply mv place, if I |
had not accepted or had refign
td, being next in number of
votes to me. Ile was imprifon- |
eci in the Luxemburg with me,
was taken to the tribunal and the ,
Guilliocine, and 1, his principal,
was left.
There were but two foreign
ers in the convention, Anar- |
charfis Cloots and myfelf.—W c
were both put out of the con
vention by the fame vote, ar
refied by the fame order, and
carried to prilon together the
fame night. He was taken to
the Guiiliotine and I was again
left. Joel Barlow was with us
when we went to prifon.
Jofeph I.ebon, one of the :
vileff charades that ever exified,
and who made the fireets of
Arras run with blood, was mv (
Suppliant as member of the
convention for the department
of the Pas de Calais. W hen
I was put out of the convention
he came and took my place.
When 1 was liberated from pri
fon and vbted again into the
convention, he was lent to rhe
fame prifon and took toy pku c
there, and he went to the Guil
liotine inftcad of me. ife fup
plied my place all the way
through.
One hundred and fi'tty-e'ghc
perlons were taken out of t e
Luxemburg in one night, ant!
a hundred and fixty of them
Guilliotincd the next day, of
which I now know I was to have
been one ; anti the manner 1 es
caped that fate is curious at.t!
has all ihe appearance of ac
cident.
d he room in which Iwa lodg
ed was on the ground floor, and
one of a 1 »ng range of rooms
under a gallery, and the door
of it opened outward and fiac
againff the vail; fo that when
it was open the infide of the
door appeared outwar ', and the*
contrary when it was fluit. J
had three comrades, fellow pri—
foners with me. Jofeph Van
buile of Bruges, fince prof] lent
of the municipality of that town,
Michael Robbins and Baflini of
1 ,ovain.
When perfons by (cores and
by hundreds were to he taken
out of pri fon for the Guilliorine
it was a 1 wavs done in the night,
and thole who per ft rmed rhat
office had a private mark or
fignal by which they knew what
rooms to go to and what num
ber to cake.—We as 1 have laid,
were four, and the door of our
room was marked,unobferved l>y
us, with that number hi chalk ;
but it happened if happening is a
proper word, that the mark
on when the door was open and
Bat againft the wall, and thereby
came on the infide when we flint
it ar night, and the deffroying
angel puffed by it. A few days
after this Kobefpiero fell and
Mr. Munroc arrived and re
claimed me, and invited me to
his houfe.
During the whole of mv im
prifmment, prior to the fall of
Robcfpierre, there was no time
when 1 could think my life
worth twenty-four hours, and
mv mind was made up to meet
its fate. The Americans in
Park went in a body to the con
vention to reclaim me, but with
out fucccfs. There was no
party among them with refpeft
to me. My only hope ten
reffed on the government of
America that it would remem
ber me. But the icy heart of
ingratitude, in whatever man it
be placed, has neither feeling nor
fenfc of honor. The letter of
Mr. Jcffferfon has ferved to wipe
away tnc reproach, and done
[ac. IS4.
u
lid
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