The Political and Miscellaneous Works of Thomas Paine

Front matter

ft arttncy stwicf a tilmm tin; 'k-iynolPm: ' THE Political anti JWtecellaneoug WORKS OF THOMAS PAINE. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. ?toitUott: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY R. CARLILE, 55, FLEET STREET 1819. Uift OF THOMAS PAINE. The present Memoir is not written as a thingalto- gether necessary, or what was much wanted, but because it is usual and fitting in all collections of the writings of the same Author to accompany such collection Avith a brief account of his life; so that the reader might at the same time be furnished Avith a key to the Author's mind, principles, and works. On such an occasion it does not become the Compiler to seek after either the adulation of friends, or the slander of enemies ; it is equally unnecessary to please or perplex the reader with either, for Avhen an author has passed the bar of nature, it behoves us not to listen to any tales about Avhat he was, or Avhat he did, but to form our judgments of the utility or non-utility of his life, by the Avritings he has left behind him.

Our business is with the spirit or immortal part ofthe man, if his writings be calculated to render him immortal, we have nothing to do with the body that is earthly and corruptible, and passes away into the common mass of regenerating matter. Whilst the man is living, Ave are justirled in prying into his actions to see whether his exam ple corresponds with his precept, but when dead, his Avritings must stand or fall by the test of reason and its influence on public opinion. The excess of LIFE OF THOMAS PAINE. admiration and vituperation has gone forth against the name and memory of the Author of these works, but it shall be the endeavour of the present Com piler to steer clear of both, and to draAV from the reader an acknowledgement that here the Life and Character of Paine is fairly stated, aud that here the enquirer after truth may find that Avhich he most desires — an unvarnished statement.

Thomas Paine Avas born at Thetford, in the county of Norfolk, in England, on the 2i)th of January, 1737. He receiAred such education as the town could afford him, until he was thirteen years of age, Avhen his father, who was a stay maker, took him upon the shop-board. Before his twentieth year, he set out for London to work as a journey man, and from Loudon to the coast of Kent. Here he became inflamed with the desire of a trip to sea, and he accordingly served in two privateers, but Avas prevailed upon by the affectionate remonstrances of his father, who had been bred a Quaker, to relin quish the sea-faring life. He then set up as a master staymaker at SandAvich, in the county of Kent, when he was about twenty-three years of age. It appears that he had a thorough distaste for this trade, and having married the daughter of an exciseman, he soon began to turn his attention to that office.

Preface

TO THE EDITION OF 1817-18. The circumstances under Avhich the present edition of the Political Works of Paine has been laid before the Public, require from the Publisher an explana tion of the motives by which he has been actuated. It must have been painful to the feelings of every honest man to think that the writings of Mr. Paine, Avhich have been dreaded only by the supporters of Monarchical Despotism, and its inseparable con comitant, priestcraft, should have been so near a total extinction as to be found no Avhere for sale, but in a clandestine manner, and at an exorbitant price. Prior to the appearance of the present edition, no price was considered too high ; various sums, from ten to twenty guineas, were paid for an imperfect collection when compared with the present. The public have now a complete and uniform edition.

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. XXXVI and that at a price which will enable the working classes ofthe community to become acquainted with the principles of the celebrated author. The satisfaction that is felt by the Publisher in sending forth to the people of England so complete an edition of so grand and interesting a collection of political knowledge at so important a crisis, Avhen Despotism trembles at the thought of being resisted, is trebly increased at the numerous expressions of approbation he has received from that por tion of the people, whose meed is free, genuine, and impressive, not fulsome but stimulant, not adu latory but admonitory, not servile but conducive to the general interest. The Publisher feels it incumbent on him to say, that he has met Avith no opposition in the progress of this edition, save from those Avho were the pretended friends of freedom, but Avho dreaded the circulation of his principles lest their self-interested theories should find exposure in the simple and effectual instructions contained in the pages of Paine — the one cries out it is flying in the face of a jury — the errors of a jury should be respected : (let it be recollected that that jury Avas packed) another says, you will put a stop to all the political Avritings ofthe day, and like Othello, Ave may exclaim, " our occu pation's gone ;" — be it so. The Avritings of Paine are alone sufficient to become the political guide, and to inculcate those notions of government, the

PREFACE.

. XXXVII adoption of which would extend the greatest share of good to the greatest portion of the community : that man only should be thought worthy of our admiration and imitation who explodes the idea of hereditary right in priests, nobles, and princes, and hereditary wrong in the people. The time and circumstances under which the present edition has made its appearance are peculiar ; and at some future period it might be deemed doubt ful, or even incredible, that when the Ministers of the Regent had thought proper to dictate to him, and their tools the Houses of Lords and Commons (so called) the necessity of suspending the Habeas Corpus Act, for the avoAved purpose of stopping the progress of political information, in defiance of threats held out, many actually suffering imprison ment and torture, and all persons concerned in the circulation of political information expecting a similar fate, the " Rights of Man" and " Letter to the Addressers," which seemed to have attracted the particular attention of the Harpies of the CroAvn on their first appearance, were actually published, and many thousands of them sold before the repeal of that suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act.

The Works are now before the public in their completed state ; whether au abandoned Administration may consider them as fit subjects for legal discussion, remains vet to be known, nor is it of much conseat quence to the Publisher. He is perfectly aware of XXXVIII

PREFACE.

. the strong desire Avhich exists in certain quarters to revive the reign of terror and persecution, but conscious of the rectitude of his intentions, he is totally indifferent as to the measures which the Solomons of the Law may finally adopt. Whatever may be attempted, he will Avait the result Avith composure, and Avith the consciousness of having performed a public duty; a consideration of more importance to him than either the mercy or the vengeance, the moderation or the persecution, of a tyrannical Ministry. PUBLISHERS

PREFACE.

TO THE PRESENT EDITION. It is with much pleasure, heightened by some feAv difficulties and struggles, that the Publisher is enabled to lay before the Public, an improved and more complete edition of the Political Works of Thomas Paine, than has hitherto appeared. The Publisher has spared no pains or expence in getting up the present edition, and it will be found to contain more than a hundred pages of miscellaneous matter, beyond what has hitherto been published in this country. We are indebted to the exertions of Mr. William Clark for many of those pieces, Avho has ransacked the United States to gather up the valuable fragments of so celebrated an author. As Mr. Paine's exertions with the pen were so wide and extensive, and that too during the revolutionary moments of America and France, many

PREFACE.

. valuable scraps and essays have been lost, or are laying obscure; and what is still more painful, from the servile state of Englishmen and the English Press, many of his pieces have been printed imper fect, Which the Publisher has strove in vain to com plete and perfect according to the originals. The aristocracies and monarchies of all countries have made war upon Thomas Paine as their common enemy, so that the} not only tormented his last mo ments by their agents, but, no doubt, they have greatly curtailed the progress of his pen. However» enough is done to shew the enlightened part of mankind, and the industrious classes, that he AA-as their common friend. In addition to the augmented collection of his Avritings, the Publisher has procured a portrait that excels any of the small portraits that are extant, in execution and resemblance.

It will be found to be the most perfect model of Sharp's large engraving, and even superior to Sharp's small portrait. With this additional expence, aud from the peculiar situation of the Publisher, a price somewhat high has been put upon his edition. But the candid mind must acknowledge, that the contribution thus laid upon the purchaser, is justifiable under present circumstances, and the Publisher pledges himself, that his first object is to acquire the means of beinofur ther useful, and not to hoard money. In fact, he

PREFACE.

. actually stands in need of a liberal and extensive purchase of this work to enable him to proceed to some other object. Whatever pieces are imperfect in this edition are acknoAvledged, Avith the exception of one, and that is the piece intitled " To Forgetfulness," which was first published in England in Redhead Yorke's " Travels through France." This piece is strangely mangled, and for Avhat purpose it is difficult to say. In the present edition, a note has been copied, Avhich ought not to have been, in page 128 of the Miscellaneous Works, in the above mentioned article. The Publisher could have no scruples to pub lish any thing which Mr. Paine had written for pub lication, the note belongs to the copy, and not to the present edition. It is not generally knoAvn, but it should be known, that Redhead Yorke made his last tour through France as an agent of the English Government.

The Publisher can vouch for the ac curacy of this statement, and he has thought proper to make it, lest apostasy should have been mistaken for integrity; as Mr. Redhead Yorke has not left us an avowal of his change of opinions and principles, although the family, into which he married, boast of that change. He was confined for tAvo years in this Gaol of Dorchester, and after quitting if, he married the sister ofthe present keeper. PEEFACE. There are some few literal and verbal errors in this edition, but they are so trifling that it has not been deemed necessary to publish a list of errata. The reader cannot fail to mark them as he passes on, and no Avhere is a sentence confused or unintelligible by them. The Publisher now throws himself, and the present edition, on the public favour and support, as a proof, that a prison cannot deter him, whilst he perceives a further opportunity to make an effort for the spread of useful and liberal prin ciples.

DORCHESTER GAOL, Nov. 12, 1820. CONTENTS. VOL.1. Common Sense. American Crisis. Public Good. Letter to the Abbe Raynal. Letter to George Washington. Letter to Thomas Paine. Dissertations on Government, the Affairs of the Bank and Paper Money. Prospects on the Rubicon. COMMON SENSE, ADDRESSED TO THE Jhtlmfcitants of America, ON THE FOLLOWING INTERESTING SUBJECTS: I. Of the Origin and Design of Government in general, with concise Remarks on the English Constitution. II. Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession. III. Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs. IV. Of the Present Ability of America, with some Miscellaneous Reflections. To which is added, an

Appendix

; together with an Address to the People called QUAKERS. BY THOMAS PAINE. ionium : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY R. CARLILE, 55, FLEET STREET. 1819.