Published weekly by Alluavd 'Hail, at Thuii Dollars Veaf.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY
"VT.
ill J v
Profit he Nstiifial fnttffigfWfr',
Towards the latter end 6l last Dc
aember I received alerter from a ve
nerable patriot, Samuel Adams, dated
Boston, Nov. 30. It came by, a pri
tate barid, which I suppose was the
cause of the delay. I wrote Mr. A-
Jams an answer, .dated January 1st,
and that. I might be certain.of his. rer
ceivinarit, and also that I rtieht "know
of that reception, I desired a friend of
mine at' Washington' to put it under
cover tc some frie'ndof his at Boston
and dcirfehim to- present it to Mr
put undef , cover while I was pressnt
and Riven to rie of the clerks "of the
Pbst-Omc to neal and put in the man.
the clerk put it in bis " pocket bwky
and either forgot to put it in the mail,'
or, supposed he had done so among
ther letters. The Post-master Crene
ral, on learning the mistake, informed
me of it last Saturday, and as the co
ver was then out of date, the letter
was put under a new cover with the
lame request and forwarded by the
post. ' I felt concern at this accident,
lest Mr. Adams should conclude- I
was unmindful of hisjittetitfon toTrifft
and thccefirTelt7ny further acci
dent should prevent of delay his re
reiving it,.as well as to" relieve myself
from that concern, I give the letter
the opportunity of reaching him by thd
new3-papers. I am the more induced
to do this, because some manuscript
conies have been taken of both letter's
and therefore there is a possibility ;bf
imncrfect conies eettinif. into' print:
T and besides this, if some of the federal
'( ' ! printers, (for t hope they are not all
v ; Use alike), could get hold of a copy,
I i they would make no scruple of alter
iT,'; 'nR Hand publishing it as mine I
therefore-send you the original let-
f ter of Mr. Adams and my own copy
A i the answer. .
f ' ..-' IHJiHAl r.VliMi.
1 ftitral atj, Jan. 23,. 1 80 J. ;
pendehec and supporting; i .after . It 1
was declared. I also, like you, have
often looked back on those times, and
have thought, that if independence had
not been declared at -the time it was
thV public mind could not have been
brought up to it uftc rvards. It will
in mediately occur to. you, jrho were
so intimately acquainted with the si
tu ition of things at that time,, that I al-
ude to the black times ot Seventy-six ;
or though I know, and you ray friend
alsdknow, they, ware no other than the
natural consequences of the military
Blunders outiay campaign, inc.cuuii
try might have viewed them as. pro
ceeding from a natural; matMluy to
support its causs agsinst the 1 enemy,
and have sunk under the despondency
of that misconceived idea, ; 1 his was
the impression 'against which- it was
necessary: the country should-bc
strongly animated. "
I now v come to the second part ot .
your letter, on which I. shall be as .
frank with vou -as vou are with m'S- !
" But (say-you) when I, heard you had
turned your mind to a detence oi nip-
delity, 1 felt myself much astonished
lecx" What, my good inenn, aoyo.u
l5airh"elTemg''in"Trb(f tnjtdelity 7. for
that is the great point maintained m
the Ageof Reaton against all divided
beliefs and allegoric a! divinities. .The
bishop of JLandaft, (Doctor Watson)
not only acknowledges this, but bays
me some compliments upoi) h in nis
answer to the second part of that work.
There ii '(says' he) a philosophical sub
limity tn $me ofyourtdeat when speak
ing of the Creator of the Universe." ' '
.What then (my , much esteemed
friend for I do not respct-you the less
because we differ," and that perhaps
not much, in religious sentiments)
what, I- ask, is this-thing called infije
lit v If we go back to your ancestors
and jnine, three or four hundred years
ago, Tot we must have had .fathers
and grandfathers or we should ot be
here, we.shall find, them praylng'to
saints and virgins, and - believing in
purgutary and transubstshtiation, and
thoughts upon rrfsOTjj, but that l had it in the unchangeable order by
reserved it to .a latorarne ,ui uic i. which uw nwuiuprcmaitiuic wnoie
have now to ihformwfi why rI 'wrote u is governed. Do we 'want to con
it and published it ayae time I did.' Hjj template his munificence ? We
In the first place I $aw my." lite ihj," see itin the abundance with which
' - ' - v f iv , Vil I 1 1 1 1 1 T" .
" jic iius iuc c&rui. - xju avc waiu xo
contemplate, his mercy ? We see
' it in his not withholding that abun-
falling as fast as the guillotine could
rAUtheir heads&ff, and as livery day
expected the same fate, I resolved to
begin my i6rk. I appeared to my
self to be inNny death bed, for death
was on every side of me, and I had.no
time to lose. This accounts for . my
writing af the time I Aid, and so hice-
y did the time andtlil intention meet
" dance even from the unthankful."
As I am fully with you'in your first
part, that respecting the deity, so am
I in your second, that of iiniversai phi-Tj17
ipnthrophy ; by which I do hot mean
merely , sentimental- benevolence of
w'uhin swell, but -the practical berle-
i wefterq territory (hall ceafc on thi
".. arn, .'-;'.. ' . '
Sir, refpeafnlly . '
. your obedient rervant,
JAMES MADISOK
Arthur St. CltrK Efq S W
Cbiilicoibe. J
that I had not fipishei the first part of tolence ot doing good. We cannot
that work more than. Vix hours before serve the Deitylh the manner w,e.aerte
I was arrested and ukeivto prison" '! thoe who ctinrtot da' wlthbut thnt ser-
. . . 1 . - s . a ...... i .-i ifi ..J,nA T.':
Joel liarlow- was wuBmej and knows.
therefore all of us' are infidels accord-!; been working by vvJmw meant for
ing to our forefathers belief. Ifwe go ! several years past, to oerturn the Yc
I l.rn trmnrnti wirh ntpnciirr re
- - - -i i - ii . .
fleeted on your service to my native, , back to times more ancient we shall
una your aaopicu country. iourvom- again oe innueis acconiingio me e
mon Sense and your Crisis unques- lief of some other forefathers.'
tionably awakened the public mind, The case, my friend, is, that the
and led1 the people loudly to call ior a I world.has been ovcV run with fable and !
ncciaraiion oiur naitonai inacpen-i creeus ot numan invcnxion, wunsec-;
dence. ,'Itherefore'este'emedyouasa ' tarics of whole nations, against other'
warm ft knd to the liberty and lasting ( nations, and sectaries of those secta
welfareofthe humaarace.' " But when ries in each of them against each o
1 heard, that1 you had 'turned yourj ther. Every sectary, except the ua
mind to a defence of .infidelityvl felt, ker, has been a persecutor. Those
f Ti myself much astonjshed, and ! who fled from persecution persecuted
!gneveU( inai you nau aucmpicu a, inincir lurn, ana u is mis contusion
"' measure so injurious to the feelings; of creeds that has filled the Voiid with
; ad io repugnant to the true interest persecution and deluged ii with blood.
ofso gret a part of the citizens of the Even the depredation-on your enm
i United States. The people of New- merce by the brbary powers, sprtng
i i C.ni(iari'i, you wiiihuo-vt inc w use i irom me crujaucs ui mc rnuixn -
a Scripture phrase, are fast returning I rinst those powers. It was a wnr of
to their first love. Will you excite a- ; creed against creed, each boasting of
iionf them the spirit of angry contro- j Itod for its author, nd reviling each
vt-rscy, at a time, when they are hast-; other with the name of infidel. If I
rung to unity and peace f. I am told do not belie fe as you believe, it proves
thai some orour newspapers have an-: that you do not believe as I believe,
nounced vour intention to publish an' and this is at all that it proves.
adJaionai pamphlet upon the princi. j . There is however one point of uni
phs of your Age of Reason. Do'you on wherein all religions meet, and
think, that your.pentor the pen of any i thai, is inthe- first article-of ' every
other man can unchristionixe the mass' man's creed, and of every nations
of our cit'uens, or have you hopes of; creed, that has any creed at all. . if-
f onvertins a few of them t asit you 1 litve in God. Those who rest here.
in so bad a cause i Ve ought tothink J and there are millions who do, cannot
ourselves h-tDDv in the enjoyment of 1 be wrohir as far as their creed e-ors
tiuinion without the danier of perse-il Those whachuse toeo further mat he
si . r ' m - -
wronf, for it is impoiible tlrat all can
te riM since there is to much eon
tradiction among them. The first,
14
the, fact:; .', ... :v-':' . I
Inthe, scoDd place, the people of .
Fance were running keadlong into A )
theism, and I had tbe work" translated
and published jn their own lasguage '
to stop them in that career, - and hK
them to the first article (as I hive be
fore said of every man cretd, who
has any creed at all, Ibelievein God.)
I endangered my own life", in the first J
jjiaic uy upposingqn-tne -convention
the execution of the kin, and labour
ing to shew they were trying the mo- jj
uanuy urn liui lUC UIilH, Uliq Wiai II1C
crimes imputed to hirawerethe crimes
of the monarchical system ; and I en
dangered it a second time by opposing
Atheism, & yetJomeof your priests,
for I do not believe 'they all are per4
verse, cry out in the war whoop of mo
narchical priest-craft. What an infi
del!. What a wicked man is Thomas
Paine ! They miffht as well add. for
he believes in God, and is againstshed-
ding blood. ' . ..'
" But all this war whjp of the pulpit
pas some concealed object: Religion
is not the cause, but is the stalkiwg
horse. They put it forward to con
ceal themselves behind it. It is not
a secret that there. has been, a party
composed of the leaders of the Fede
ralist, for I do not include all Fcde-
rsltsts with their leaders, who have
ivtce. tie needs no service tronr us.
We can' add nothing to eternity. But
it is in our power to reader a service
acceptable to him, and that 'is not by
praying", but by endeavouring to make
his creatures happy. A man does
not serve God when he prays,.' for it
is himself he is trying to serve, and as
to hiringor paying men to pray,' as if
the Deity needed instruction," it is in
my opinion anabominalion. Omi
good "School Masteris of more use and
of more value than a load of such per
sons as Dr. Emmons and some others.
- You, my dear and much respected
friend, are now far in the vale of years ',
1 have yet, I believe, some years in
.tore ; for I have a goo state of health
and a happy. mind, and I take care of
both, by nourishing the first withterri
perance and the latter with abun
dance.
j-.This, I believe, you willUlow to be
the true philosophy ot life. You will
I sec by my third letter .to the citizens
of the United States, that I have been
exposed to, and preserved, through,
many dangers, but instead of buffet
tjng the Deity with prayers as if I dis
trusted him, or must dictate to him, I
reposed myself on his protection ; and
vou my friend, wilMiiidevcn in your
last moments, more consolation in the
silenre of resignation than in the mur
muring wish pf prayer. . .
- In every thing which yoasay in your
f ni VU1IVI li-UVI IU-4UIIII lunula I C5JJCC-
I tincr our richts as men and citizens in
deral constitution csin)lishrrt nn th
" ' .1 f ISA . m .
representative system, and place go-1 wocia Va.m penecuy with you.
vernmcnt in the new woe Id on the ' ,,lcr ius wc nave q answer lo
o'ir creator, ana not 10 earn otner.
The key cf heaven is not in the keen
ing of any sect, nor ought the road to
it to be obstructed by any. Our. rela-
lon to each other in this world is as
men, snd themim who tin friend to
ninn and to his rights, let his religious
opinions be what they miy, is a pood
cittr-f n, to whom I can give, ns I ought
to do. and as
corrupt system of the old. To ac-
1 complishthis a large - Handing army
fwas necessary, and a a nretenre for
sufh an army, the danger of a foreign ji 1
invasion must he belW.-d forth, fiomi 1
f
1
f
.'4
pinion
tution bv civil or ecclesiastical Uw.
O'ir friend, the pesent President of
.1. I C.... I... I ..I
ioc unucu riici, miurcn cuuninia- i
i . ted for his liberal sentiments by men, 'I therefore, are in my opinion oa the
1 ?h havs attributed that liberality lo fct sice. . .
, 1 ttcnt deXlijn to promote the cause of I I presume you are so far acquainted
faft tel'ty. This, and all other slan- 1 with eccicsiattical history as to know.
ors nave oeen mvje wii!iou i ana- :i anume oisnon wno nas answered me
vlow of proif. Neither religion nor !j has been obliged to acknowledge the
liberty can long suUUUn the tumult fact, that tho bo)ksthat compose the
the pulpit, ! om the puss, and by their
public orators. 4 .
1 r m not of a dixpoMion inclined to
snspicion. It is in its nature a moan
and cowardly passion, and upon the
whole, even admitting error into the
case, it is better, I m sure it is more
generous, to be wrong. the side of
confidence, than on Ihc aide of suspi
cion, lint as I know as a fact, that
the English government distributes
annually fifteen hundred jounds stir-
ung among ihe Presbyterian Minis
tersin England, and one thousand a
mong those of Irtland, and when I
hear of the strange discourses of some
of your ministers and professors of col
leges, 1 cannot, as the nuakers sat', find
freedom in my mind ta acquit them.
Their anti-revolirtiOTarvdfctrinrs in-
vite suspicion even acsinst one"n will
and in spite of one's charity to believe
well of them. .
As you have given me one scrip
ture phrase, I will give you another
lor these ministers.' Ii h said in Ex.
dqs chapter 22, verse J8, Thm ihult
! n.Tt rtviU the godi, nor turtt the ruler f
thy people. Hutlhoa minnte rs, such
I mean as Dr. Emmons, curse niler
and people both, for the fnajirity are, i
politically the people, and it is'thoiei
who have choien the ruler whom they '
curse. Asto the hrntnsrt olthe vtre
Tithe hi. : James M'idtfont Sccre
tar State. I
Cincinnati. 2 1 A Dec: l8oi.
Si, yr'y-i , :. .
Your letter of the & November
notifyiog to- me that the prefident '
had determined' that opon th re
ceipr of that Jetter,; my cnrnraiflioti ,
ot governor of the north-weitem
territory fliould ceafe, was deliver
ed to me by Mr. Secretary Bvrd I
on the 14th day of this month. ' I
rrqueft of you, fir, to prefent rny
humble thanks to the Prefident' for .
that '.favor, as he has thereby dif
charged me from an office I waf
hearuly tired of, about fix weeks "
f txmer i ha n I had -determ i ntd ta r 1 1
mvfelt of it ; .s he miy have ob
fetved from an addrefs-, not to th
convention, but to the peop'e, on
the .8th, ind. I cannot, however,
agree with the PrelidenT that, fn
my addrefs to the convention, which
is afiigncd as the reafon of my be
ing ditmilled that there was either
an intemperance, or indecorum of
language towards the leeiflature of
tha United States or a diforganiiing
ipint ot evil, tendency and example ; .
untels an honed and trite reprelen'a
tion of fifts defcrvc thofe epithets I
or that ' the rules of conduift en.
joined by my piibjic nation" werti
. ... 1 ,
in any way violated, unlets it DC ,
underllood . that, the rule of conduct .
for men in office is an Implicit and '
blind obtditf nee. A he con ven,
tion, fir; was 10 meet in pur fn anus
of an 9& of Cpngrefsi whereby ihtt
rkftion of the members Was direct
ed to be made according, to a law,
01 me iemtory Aiui ma rxilieo, out
hid been long repeated: a fenfe of
public duty led me to caufc the -
; lections to be made conformably to
the fpirit of the aft, and the exit
ing election law, as they could hot ,
be mide tonformab;y to the worila
of the act ; and when the convention
was met, hid I'one within my
public capacity. Every citiien had
a right tiraJdrcfs that bcnly, either
innenl fir in wrtllnir. tKi !,iKr
everv other ouirht. the I :.r" ' " " "V . "J" ""
! riht hand of fellowship, and to none I WV .,7- n 7C.W,m ,nr re"
with mnre hearty good will, my dear
lnend,iran to yon.
THOMAS PAINE. .
federal City, Jan. I, 1803.
NEW.YORK, Jaiu 13. ,
By the Profper'ty, rip. Iuh;n,
whih arrive! yellcrday in 31 u-ys
Irom Cubraltar. we learn that the
Utvted States lrigates John Adams
and Adamt wcte cnth ihtie'Our
and I believe, fir, it is a paramount
iduty which every one owci to thd
commi.nity ol ss rch he U a mem
ber to tivc wtrninif either to ho
rfprelci taiives.or totheborfy, when
hefcestfiat the tights of th't Com
mun'uy are invtdif, front whatever.
tiuttrr the invalion may come, and
to direct them, it he - an. tor;
meant of warding it ctF, or of re
polling it ; and 1 fern pie not to hy
that the vhhnt. falv. aJ ntn
ronftit at'thal place ir.rormcil capt
1. that the United talcB Uit
Cndclhiion had carried away her
lorcnull m a i.te 0f wind. and was
reptiritjtj at Malaiia
fk- it . . . ,
nt imp r.ntcrpri7f, ot tnu
port, char tend by roveritment. lud
arrived at Gibraltar w tth provilions
lor our vends of war, lour tlys
DCM.re the Pn.ipcrify laihd.
r J trdt rteJ ntrvjin 0 the Itg'jhlutt f
1
noise
1
tf altercation, and amuUt the
and violence of (action.
Eelit qutcautus,
, Adieu.
SAMUEL ADAMS,
Mr. Thot.'Palnt ,
k
' To SAMUEL ADAMS.
. Mfdfaranl vnera'xe fritdt ,
I recelvcd'with rrtst pleasure- ymir
Iriendlf n affectionate letter of Nov.
JI, and I thank yoi aiaofcr the f,rank.
n-ssofit. Ilrtwccn men In. pursuit
ef truth, and whse object li the hp
pin?sofmn Voth hfreaM hereafter,
there tnght to he ni reserve. ' Even
rror h a claim to Indulgence, If not
i"rst)ert. when it is believed to he
truth. I tn oU'iTed to jtxt for your'
affVctionate remembrance of whit you
tit my wrvcts in atikra
t'wiU iiiud ta a ki.UuiUia
the New lestament were voted by
ye it and nats to be the word of God ss
you now tote a law, by the popish
councils of, Nice and Enodocia, about
1 4 JO years ago. With respect to the
fact there W ho diinute, licit Ikt do 1
mention It for the sake of controversy. !
This vote may appear authority e
nough to some, and not authority e
no ugh toother It ii peper howe
ver that every body should know the
fcL
With respect to the Age t Retun
which you so much condemn, and that
I bcl'uve without having read it, for
you say onlf that you heard ot U, I
will inform you of a circumstance br
cause you cacna know il by biker
meant.
I haVtssid Inths fifii Mt(. kt i,t
in? Iht ;J first part cf Ihat wori, that it bad km
fhJc-Ui4 &y lni:,-.'..i U jutUsli tny
cmerni of the north-wcflcrn let-
'ritory, was at trait tn.hctnnt and
tnconitrnt with its public ittjt H
1 might no, mat the trnlerrg
tt Jive ihi)ujg"d ptp!rt viihul
fleir knvwlttyc w eonfrnt, from a
cottntiy where they were m pof-
lenion ol Jflf-gntrnmrnt, to snstbtr
where they h ill be at frail for
lime deprived $f thnt rrtyrr, wif
lay f here , k was clol' ly wrchtd by forrethmg more than .indecorous.
the .iam, which jy at Algcfiias, and mat, riaa it t.appened in Uer
We are are alfo informed lh4i a
s - . ,i. I
inaroin mturg tnegodt, it mikes no" jjrtat m.mbcr of Britilh troops im
part or my scripture. I have but one i t-cr command ol Gr.nrl . Knoa,
yoa. ; . t!k..i .
Since I began this letter, fori write l "ZX Mi. ' P,
Uby peace meals, a.I h.ve Ici.nre ,hc MJ'"""
1 have seen the finir letters that passed t
between you and John Adams. In
your first letter you say, let divines '
and philosophers, ststcsrn an l
and prtriotSt unite their 'endeavours to i
rtmmate iht agi , by inr i-ing In the .
imnuioi jouin ntj,e' UivVtcj the titi
ty,od universal phiLnkr tphj." Why,
my dear friend, this Is txacUv my rtlt-'
gion, and is the whoe of it. That you
may have an Idea hut the Age fkea
ion (for I believe you have not rradUV
inculcates this reverential fear h. love :
of the. Deity, I will give you a para
graph Iroro Its .. . ,
M Do we want to contemplate Ms
44 power f We see k in the immen. I
M uyrf the creation. Do wv wint to
f eoauic; Ut Ida wiaeon I We see
I'rtm th Setitt Giirttf.
rcopY.i
Diprlmnttf Slate, AV. 21, lEoi.
a 4a." a
msny, wncre lutn things have hip
renrd, no man In America, would
have I filiated to call it by abaifb -tt.term.
t .
Degraded as our ccumtry !i, in )
abjtct as loo many or her font ate
brcomr, there are (till a vtft pru
foitmu or tntm who win it at no
uf tor the troper tout.
Ee pleated afo, fir, in sccrpi mf
ilui.k for the peculiar delicacy vou
oi'iriToi, r committiiij: n-e ociive
1 he FufiJcncobrcting in an a U jj ff t,f ,our Inirr, and in Inroifhtrr;
refs lately ctlivcrcd by x-u to ik ! h'm with a copy-ot It, i Mr,
convention, hell at CliiCictuhe, an; Byf', arilnft whom there were It
intemperance aru irt.rornm tl Ian.
rtiae towaids tl e leiif j ore l the
United biattf, and a diforganiztng
fpirit and tcnJcncy f very rvit ei.
ample, aid mCsy vloiatirg ibe
lulcs c conduct cnjolftrd by yiiur
fuHc (lation, detcrmlnri ihst yr.,r
loaoulILcxi cl Qiciaut vl ilit ontw
I our rand to te lilj tntte .f
'rcfidrM, coni lainti ef lome'Mo
more tkan.mrr ii-decoriim, end
atoal nrglrft tJ ere rrUfal lo ftt
frm h n(fclil s!itet. It is f.f
fuch fliekrt at this which ten e tr
dtvclje tharaDrr, aJ like r
Ittisf in faintir Ifit Otil lk
it
t
It
ii
I
1
4 ,
i
I:
4.
n
i