Mary Roscoe, and lived with her for some time. Ihave heard her relate the story of Tom Paine's dyingremorse, as told her by her aunt, who was a witnessto it. She says (in a letter I have just received fromher), "he (Tom Paine) suffered fearfully from remorse,and renounced his Infidel principles, calling on Godto forgive him, and wishing his pamphlets and booksto be burned, saying he could not die in peace untilit was done." (Rev.) A. W. Cornell.Harpersville, New York.520You will notice that the testimony of Mary Hins-dale has been drawing interest since 1809, and hasmaterially increased. If Paine "suffered fearfullyfrom remorse, renounced his Infidel opinions andcalled on God to forgive him," it is hardly generousfor the Christian world to fasten the fangs of malicein the flesh of his reputation.So Mary Roscoe was Mary Hinsdale, and asMary Hinsdale has been shown by her own admis-sion to Mr. Cobbett to have known nothing of thematter; and as Mary Hinsdale was not, according toWillet Hicks, worthy of belief—as she told a false-hood of the same kind about Mary Lockwood, andwas, according to Mr. Collins, addicted to the use ofopium—this disposes of her and her testimony.There remains upon the stand Grant Thorburn.Concerning this witness, I received, yesterday, fromthe eminent biographer and essayist, James Parton,the following epistle:Newburyport, Mass.Col. R. G. Ingersoll:Touching Grant Thorburn, I personally know himto have been a dishonest man. At the age of ninety-two he copied, with trembling hand, a piece from anewspaper and brought it to the office of theHomeJournal, as his own. It was I who received it and521detected the deliberate forgery. If you are ever go-ing to continue this subject, I will give you the exactfacts.Fervently yours,James Parton.After this, you are welcome to what remains ofGrant Thorburn.There is one thing that I have noticed during thiscontroversy regarding Thomas Paine. In no instancethat I now call to mind has any Christian writerspoken respectfully of Mr. Paine. All have takenparticular pains to call him "Tom" Paine. Is it nota little strange that religion should make men socoarse and ill-mannered?I have often wondered what these same gentle-men would say if I should speak of the men eminentin the annals of Christianity in the same way. Whatwould they say if I should write about "Tim"Dwight, old "Ad" Clark, "Tom" Scott, "Jim"McKnight, "Bill" Hamilton, "Dick" Whately, "Bill"Paley, and "Jack" Calvin?They wouldsayof me then, just what Ithinkofthem now.Even if we have religion, do not let us try to getalong without good manners. Rudeness is exceed-ingly unbecoming, even in a saint. Persons who522forgive their enemies ought, to say the least, totreat with politeness those who have never injuredthem.It is exceedingly gratifying to me that I have com-pelled you to say that "Paine died a blasphemingInfidel." Hereafter it is to be hoped nothing will beheard about his having recanted. As an answer tosuch slander his friends can confidently quote thefollowing from theNew York Observerof Novemberist, 1877:"WE HAVE NEVER STATED IN ANY FORM, NORHAVE WE EVER SUPPOSED THAT PAINE ACTUALLY RE-NOUNCED HIS INFIDELITY. THE ACCOUNTS AGREE INSTATING THAT HE DIED A BLASPHEMING INFIDEL."This for all coming time will refute the slanders ofthe churches yet to be.Right here allow me to ask: If you never supposedthat Paine renounced his Infidelity, why did you tryto prove by Mary Hinsdale that which you believedto be untrue?From the bottom of my heart I thank myself forhaving compelled you to admit that Thomas Painedid not recant.For the purpose of verifying your own admissionconcerning the death of Mr. Paine, permit me to callyour attention to the following affidavit:523Wabash, Indiana, October 27, 1877.Col. R. G. Ingersoll:Dear Sir: The following statement of facts is atyour disposal. In the year 1833 Willet Hicks madea visit to Indiana and stayed over night at my father'shouse, four miles east of Richmond. In the morn-ing at breakfast my mother asked Willet Hicks thefollowing questions:"Was thee with Thomas Paine during his lastsickness?"Mr. Hicks said: "I was with him every day dur-ing the latter part of his last sickness.""Did he express any regret in regard to writingthe 'Age of Reason,' as the published accounts sayhe did—those accounts that have the credit of ema-nating from his Catholic housekeeper?"Mr. Hicks replied: "He did not in any way byword or action.""Did he call on God or Jesus Christ, asking eitherof them to forgive his sins, or did he curse them oreither of them?"Mr. Hicks answered: "He did not. He died aseasy as any one I ever saw die, and I have seenmany die in my time." William B Barnes.Subscribed and sworn to before me Oct. 27, 1877.Warren Bigler, Notary Public.524You say in your last that "Thomas Paine wasabandoned of God." So far as this controversy isconcerned, it seems to me that in that sentence youhave most graphically described your own condi-tion.Wishing you success in all honest undertakings, Iremain,Yours truly,Robert G. Ingersoll.