en it was
strong and cruel. The church waited till he was dead, and then attacked
his reputation and his clothes. Once upon a time a donkey kicked a
lion. The lion was dead. You just don't know how happy I am tonight
that justice so long delayed at last is going to be done, and to see so
many splendid looking people come here out of deference to the memory
of Thomas Paine. I am glad to be here.

The next thing is: Did Thomas Paine live the life of a drunken beast,
and did he die a drunken, cowardly, and beastly death? Well, we will
see. Upon you rests the burden of substantiating these infamous
charges. The Christians have, I suppose, produced the best evidence in
their possession, and that evidence I will now proceed to examine.
Their first witness is Grant Thorburn. He made three charges against
Thomas Paine:

1. That his wife obtained a divorce from him in England for cruelty
and neglect.

2. That he was a defaulter and fled from England to America.

3. That he was a drunkard.

These three charges stand upon the same evidence--the word of Grant
Thorburn. If they are not all true, Mr. Thorburn stands impeached.
The charge that Mrs. Paine obtained a divorce on account of the cruelty
and neglect of her husband is utterly false. There is no such record
in the world, and never was. Paine and his wife separated by mutual
consent. Each respected the other. They remained friends. This charge
is without any foundation. In fact, I challenge the Christian world to
produce the record of this decree of divorce. According to Mr.
Thorburn, it was granted in England. In that country public records
are kept of all such decrees. I will give $1,000 if they will produce
a decree, showing that it was given on account of cruelty, or admit
that Mr. Thorburn was mistaken.

Thomas Paine was a just man. Although separated from his wife, he
always spoke of her with tenderness and respect, and frequently lent
her money without letting her know the source from whence it came. Was
this the conduct of a drunken beast?

The next is that he was a defaulter, and fled from England to America.
As I told you in the first place, he was an exciseman; if he was a
defaulter, that fact is upon the records of Great Britain. I will give
$1,000 in gold to any man who will show, by the records of England,
that he was a defaulter of a single, solitary cent. Let us bring these
gentlemen to Limerick.

And they charge that he was a dru