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LEST WE FORGET
THE STORY OF THOMAS PAINE
AND THE NATION’S DEBT TO HIS
MEMORY by ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
PRICE, TEN CENTS
Published by
THOMAS PAINE
NATIONAL HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION
W. H. HARVEY, Trea»urer
62 VESEY STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
�“The World it
My Country ;
To Do Good My
Religion."
—Thomas Paine.
��THOMAS PAINE
1737—1809
�WE FORGET
By
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
PRINTED
AT THE ROYCROFT SHOP, WHICH
IS IN EAST AURORA, ERIE
COUNTY, N. Y.
��LEST WE FORGET
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
VERY American
should know the
story of Thomas
Paine’s life. Unfor
tunately, however,
only a comparatively small
number of our immense popu
lation are acquainted with his
remarkable career, and but
few realize the great debt of
gratitude that we all owe this
great libertarian’s memory.
3
�LEST WE FORGET
How many Americans know that
to Thomas Paine’s writings, more
than to any other factor, we owe
our independence as the United
States of America? How many
of us know that the very name,
“ United States of America,”
was coined by Thomas Paine
and first used by him ? All of us
should know it.
Thomas Paine was one of the
founders of the United States of
America ; was, in fact, the prime
mover in the establishment of
4
�LEST WE FORGET
the great American republic.
Had it not been for his great
efforts in liberty’s behalf, it is
quite as likely as not that to this
very day this land would have
remained under British rule.
Thomas Paine wrote and pub
lished in January, Seventeen
Hundred Seventy-six, the earli
est plea for American indepen
dence. This was his pamphlet
entitled, Common Sense. Pre
vious to the appearance of
Paine’s masterly argument urg5
�LEST WE FORGET
ing immediate separation and
resistance, the American Colo
nists, notwithstanding the impo
sitions of Great Britain (unbear
able taxations, etc.), had thought
only of supplications and peti
tions to George the Third for
relief. Despite the British
monarch’s long-continued obdu
racy and the fact that each new
oppression was followed by
another and that he turned a
deaf ear to all appeals, the Colo
nists still hoped on, with never a
6
�LEST WE FORGET
thought of rebellion. Even Wash
ington, at this time, expressed
loyalty to the king.
Like a thunderbolt from the sky
came Paine’s magnificent argu
ment for liberty. It electrified
the people, and its stirring words
swept like wildfire through the
country. No pamphlet ever
written sold in such vast num
bers, nor did any ever before or
since produce such marvelous
results. Paine donated all the
financial proceeds of the pam7
�LEST WE FORGET
phlet to the cause of liberty (as
he did with all of his other works).
C Washington, now converted,
wrote to his friends in praise of
Common Sense, asserting that
Paine’s words were “ sound doc
trine and unanswerable reason
ing.” Jefferson, John Adams,
Franklin, Madison, all the great
statesmen of the time, wrote
praisefully of Paine’s “ flaming
arguments.”
In July, six months after Com
mon Sense had awakened the
8
�LEST WE FORGET
people, the Declaration of Inde
pendence, embracing the chief
arguments of Paine’s great
pamphlet, and much of its actual
wording, was signed by the com
mittee of patriots in Philadel
phia
The great Revolution com
menced at once. The oppressed
Colonists took up arms at a
great disadvantage, by reason
of lack of food, clothes, money
and munitions of war; but,
inspired by the forceful message
9
�LEST WE FORGET
of Common Sense, they fought
bravely and well. When Winter
set in, however, the ill-clad,
poorly-nourished little army had
been greatly reduced in numbers
by desertions from its ranks.
Many of the soldiers were shoe
less and left bloody footprints
on the snow-covered line of
march. All were but half-hearted
at this time and many utterly
discouraged. Washington wrote
most apprehensively concerning
the situation to the Congress
10
�LEST WE FORGET
Paine, in the meantime (himself
a soldier, with General Greene’s
army on the retreat from Fort
Lee, New Jersey, to Newark),
realizing the necessity of at once
instilling renewed hope and cour
age in the soldiers if the cause of
liberty were to be saved, wrote
by campfire at night the first
number of his soul-stirring Crisis,
commencing with the words :
“ These are the times that try
men’s souls. The summer soldier
and the sunshine patriot will, in
11
�LEST WE FORGET
this crisis, shrink from the ser
vice of their country, but he that
stands it now deserves the love
and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily
conquered; yet we have this
consolation with us, that the
harder the conflict, the more
glorious the triumph. What we
obtain too cheap we esteem too
lightly: it is dearness only that
gives everything its value
Heaven knows how to put a
proper price upon its goods ; and
12
�LEST WE FORGET
it would be strange indeed if so
celestial an article as freedom
should not be highly rated.”
Washington ordered the Crisis
read aloud to every regiment of
the army. The effect was magical.
Hope was renewed in every
breast. Deserters returned to the
ranks. Men who had half-heart
edly withheld from joining the
patriot army took courage from
Paine’s thrilling words and
shouldered muskets with the
rest. The great cause, tottering
13
�LEST WE FORGET
on the brink of dissolution, was
saved. Paine’s Crisis did it
Following the first number of
the Crisis came others—thirteen
in all—the last commencing with
the words:
“ The times that tried men’s
souls are over.”
Paine was not only a great
author and statesman, but he
was distinctly a pioneer, an
originator, an inventor and cre
ator. To him we are indebted for
many of the world’s greatest ideas
14
�LEST WE FORGET
and most important reforms.
It was Paine who first proposed
the abolition of negro slavery;
Paine was the first to suggest
arbitration and international
peace; Paine originally proposed
old-age pensions.
These are a few of the other
great ideas he fathered: He first
suggested international copy
right ; first proposed the educa
tion of children of the poor at
public expense; first suggested a
great republic of all the nations
15
�LEST WE FORGET
of the world; first proposed
“ the land for the people ” ; first
suggested “ the religion of
humanity ” ; first proposed and
first wrote the words “ United
States of America ”; first sug
gested protection for dumb ani
mals ; first suggested justice to
women ; first proposed the pur
chase of the Louisiana territory;
first suggested the Federal Union
of States.
Much, much more might be told
of this wonderful man, but this
16
�LEST WE FORGET
is merely a little booklet, not a
biographical volume.
For a century the world has
ignored this brilliant mind. In
deed, Paine’s name has been
branded by bigots and fanatics
with all imaginable obloquy
He was called an atheist, a FreeThinker, a blasphemer, simply
because he could not believe in
some old traditions which today
are known to be allegorical, and
which few intelligent minds
regard seriously.
17
�LEST WE FORGET
Some of the world’s greatest men
have paid tributes of praise to
Thomas Paine, and their testi
mony is worth recording.
Napoleon said in toasting him at
a banquet, “ Every city in the
world should erect a gold statue
to you.”
General Andrew Jackson, the
“ Hero of New Orleans,” and
the seventh President of the
United States, said to the vener
able philanthropist, Judge Herttell, of New York, upon the
18
�LEST WE FORGET
latter proposing the erection of a
suitable monument to Thomas
Paine:
“ Thomas Paine needs no mon
ument made by hands; he has
erected himself a monument in
the hearts of all lovers of liberty.
The Rights of Man will be more
enduring than all the piles of
marble and granite man can
erect.”
George Washington, first Presi
dent of this great Republic, in a
letter to Thomas Paine, inviting
19
�LEST WE FORGET
that author and patriot to par
take with him, at Rocky-Hill,
wrote:
“ Your presence may remind
Congress of your past services
to this country, and if it is in my
power to impress them, com
mand my best exertions with
freedom, as they will be rendered
cheerfully, by one who enter
tains a lively sense of the impor
tance of your works.”
Major-General Charles Lee, of
the American Revolutionary
20
�LEST WE FORGET
Army, speaking of the wonderful
effects of Paine’s writings, said
that “ he burst forth on the
world like Jove in thunder ! ” ^
John Adams said that Lee used
to speak of Paine as “ the man
with genius in his eyes.”
Joel Barlow, poet, patriot and
statesman, and an intimate
friend of Paine, wrote of him as
follows:
“ He was one of the most benev
olent and disinterested of man
kind, endowed with the clearest
21
�LEST WE FORGET
perception, an uncommon share
of original genius, and the great
est depth of thought.
“ He ought to be ranked among
the brightest and undeviating
luminaries of the age in which he
lived
“Asa visiting acquaintance and
a literary friend, he was one of
the most instructive men I ever
have known. He had a surprising
memory and a brilliant fancy.
His mind was a storehouse of
facts and useful observations.
22
�LEST WE FORGET
He was full of lively anecdote,
and ingenious, original, pertinent
remark upon almost every sub
ject
“ He was always charitable to
the poor beyond his means, a
sure protector and a friend to all
Americans in distress that he
found in foreign countries: and
he had frequent occasion to
exert his influence in protecting
them during the Revolution in
France. His writings will answer
for his patriotism.”
23
�LEST WE FORGET
Thomas Clio Rickman, author,
poet, biographer, writing of
Paine, said:
“Why seek occasions, surly
critics and detractors, to mal
treat and misrepresent Mr.
Paine? He was mild, unoffend
ing, sincere, gentle, humble and
unassuming; his talents were
soaring, acute, profound, exten
sive and original; and he pos
sessed that charity which covers
a multitude of sins.”
Thomas Jefferson, third Presi24
�LEST WE FORGET
dent of the United States and
co-author with Thomas Paine
of the famous Declaration of
Independence, wrote to Paine
in Eighteen Hundred One, ten
dering him a passage to the
United States, from France, in
a national vessel. Jefferson’s
appreciation of Paine may be
noted in this paragraph of his
letter:
“ I am in hopes you will find us
returned generally to sentiments
worthy of former times. In these
25
�LEST WE FORGET
it will be your glory to have
steadily labored, and with as
much effect as any man living.
That you may long live to con
tinue your useful labors, and to
reap the reward of the thankful
ness of nations, is my sincere
prayer.”
sw
James Monroe, fifth President
of the United States, in a letter
to Thomas Paine, wrote as fol
lows :
“It is not necessary for me to
tell you how much all your
26
�LEST WE FORGET
countrymen—I speak of the
great mass of the people—are
interested in your welfare. They
have not forgotten the history
of their own Revolution, and the
difficult scenes through which
they have passed; nor do they
review its several stages without
reviving in their bosoms a due
sensibility of the merits of those
who served them in that great
and arduous conflict. The crime
of ingratitude has not yet stained,
and I hope never will stain, our
27
�LEST WE FORGET
national character. You are con
sidered by them as not only
having rendered important ser
vices in our own Revolution, but
as being, on a more extensive
scale, the friend of human rights,
and a distinguished and able
advocate in favor of public lib
erty. To the welfare of Thomas
Paine the Americans are not,
nor can they be, indifferent.”
Let us reiterate the hope ex
pressed by James Monroe, that
the crime of ingratitude shall
28
�LEST WE FORGET
never stain our national charac
ter. It is time indeed that the
world awakened to the merits of
Thomas Paine.
With the view of spreading the
light concerning Paine, the
Thomas Paine National Histor
ical Association was organized
and incorporated in New York
some years ago. Through the
efforts of this Association Thomas
Paine is at last coming into his
own. The Association intends
that Thomas Paine shall occupy
29
�LEST WE FORGET
that niche in the world’s Temple
of Fame where he properly
belongs, and to that end it bends
its every endeavor.
The Association has established
at New Rochelle, New York, in
the house that Paine built on
the great farm presented to him
by the State of New York in
recognition of his patriotic ser
vices, a Thomas Paine National
Museum. Admission is free. The
Association publishes pamphlets
and other literature from time
30
�LEST WE FORGET
to time on the subject of Thomas
Paine.
In the Thomas Paine National
Museum at New Rochelle are to
be seen relics of the great author,
rare first editions of his chief
works, rare portraits, etc., etc.
On January the Twenty-ninth,
Paine’s birthday, the Associa
tion holds its yearly dinner.
Every year, usually on Memo
rial Day, the Association has a
commemorative meeting in
Paine’s honor at the Paine
31
�LEST WE FORGET
Monument in New Rochelle.
The expenses of the Association
are defrayed by the receipts
from membership dues. The
officers receive no remuneration
for their services. The member
ship dues are only one dollar a
year (no initiation or other fees).
<[ The Association will gladly
send literature concerning the
organization and its work to
any one applying for it. Address :
W. H. Harvey, Treasurer, Sixtytwo Vesey Street, New York.
32
�THE most formidable
Weapon against errors
of every faind is Reason.
I have never used any
other and I trust I never
shall.
—Thomas Paine.
��Thomas Paine
National Historical
Association
W. M. van der WEYDE
President
7 West 103d Street
New York
W. H. HARVEY
Treasurer
62 Vesey Street
New York
EDWARD HENN
Secretary
334 East 51st Street
New York
�Certain I am that
when opinions are
free, either in matters
of government or relig
ion, truth will finally
and powerfully prevail.
—Thomas Paine.
-a
�
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Title
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Victorian Blogging
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised nineteenth-century pamphlets from Conway Hall Library & Archives. This includes the Conway Tracts, Moncure Conway's personal pamphlet library; the Morris Tracts, donated to the library by Miss Morris in 1904; the National Secular Society's pamphlet library and others. The Conway Tracts were bound with additional ephemera, such as lecture programmes and handwritten notes.<br /><br />Please note that these digitised pamphlets have been edited to maximise the accuracy of the OCR, ensuring they are text searchable. If you would like to view un-edited, full-colour versions of any of our pamphlets, please email librarian@conwayhall.org.uk.<br /><br /><span><img src="http://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" width="238" height="91" alt="TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" /></span>
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Conway Hall Library & Archives
Date
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2018
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Conway Hall Ethical Society
Text
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Pamphlet
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Lest we forget
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Wilcox, Ella Wheeler [1850-1919]
Description
An account of the resource
Place of publication: East Aurora, NY
Collation: 32 p. : ill. (front. port.) ; 14 cm.
Notes: Part of the NSS pamphlet collection. Title page printed in red and black. Red decorations at the top of each page. Rubricated letter on p.3. Date of publication from Library of Congress. Cover title: 'Lest we forget : the story of Thomas Paine and the nation's debt to his memory'. Printed at the Roycroft Workshop, East Aurora, N.Y.
Publisher
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Thomas Paine National Historical Association
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
[1914?]
Identifier
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N695
Subject
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Thomas Paine
Rights
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<a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"><img src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a><span> </span><br /><span>This work (Lest we forget), identified by </span><a href="https://conwayhallcollections.omeka.net/items/show/www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a><span>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</span>
Format
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application/pdf
Type
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Text
Language
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English
NSS
Statesmen-United States
Thomas Paine