The Rights of Man | Page 5

Versailles, but
probably this has reference to the preface only, as I cannot find Paine in France that year
until April 8. The book had been printed by Johnson, in time for the opening of
Parliament, in February ; but this publisher became frightened after a few copies were out
(there is one in the British Museum), and the work was transferred to J. S. Jordan, 166
Fleet Street, with a preface sent from Paris (not contained in Johnson's edition, nor in the
American editions). The pamphlet, though sold at the same price as Burke's, three
shillings, had a vast circulation, and Paine gave the proceeds to the Constitutional
Societies which sprang up under his teachings in various parts of the country.
Soon after appeared Burke's " Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs." In this Burke
quoted a good deal from " Rights of Man," but replied to it only with exclamation points,
saying that the only answer such ideas merited was "criminal justice." Paine's Part
Second followed, published February 17, 1792. In Part First Paine had mentioned a
rumor that Burke was a masked pensioner (a charge that will be noticed in connection
with its detailed statement in a further publication); and as Burke had been formerly
arraigned in Parliament, while Paymaster, for a very questionable proceeding, this charge
no doubt hurt a good deal. Although the government did not follow Burke's suggestion of
a prosecution at that time, there is little doubt that it was he who induced the prosecution
of Part Second. Before the trial came on, December 18, 1792, Paine was occupying his
seat in the French Convention, and could only be outlawed.
Burke humorously remarked to a friend of Paine and himself, " We hunt in pairs." The
severally representative character and influence of these two men in the revolutionary era,
in France and England, deserve more adequate study than they have received. While

Paine maintained freedom of discussion, Burke first proposed criminal prosecution for
sentiments by no means libellous (such as Paine's Part First). While Paine was
endeavoring to make the movement in France peaceful, Burke fomented the league of
monarchs against France which maddened its people, and brought on the Reign of Terror.
While Paine was endeavoring to preserve the French throne ("phantom" though he
believed it), to prevent bloodshed, Burke was secretly writing to the Queen of France,
entreating her not to compromise, and to " trust to the support of foreign armies " ("
Histoire de France depuis 1789." Henri Martin, i., 151). While Burke thus helped to bring
the King and Queen to the guillotine, Paine pleaded for their lives to the last moment.
While Paine maintained the right of mankind to improve their condition, Burke held that
" the awful Author of our being is the author of our place in the order of existence; and
that, having disposed and marshalled us by a divine tactick, not according to our will, but
according to his, he has, in and by that disposition, virtually subjected us to act the part
which belongs to the place assigned us." Paine was a religious believer in eternal
principles; Burke held that " political problems do not primarily concern truth or
falsehood. They relate to good or evil. What in the result is likely to produce evil is
politically false, that which is productive of good politically is true." Assuming thus the
visionary's right to decide before the result what was " likely to produce evil," Burke
vigorously sought to kindle war against the French Republic which might have developed
itself peacefully, while Paine was striving for an international Congress in Europe in the
interest of peace. Paine had faith in the people, and believed that, if allowed to choose
representatives, they would select their best and wisest men; and that while reforming
government the people would remain orderly, as they had generally remained in America
during the transition from British rule to selfgovernment. Burke maintained that if the
existing political order were broken up there would be no longer a people, but " a number
of vague, loose individuals, and nothing more." " Alas! " he exclaims, " they little know
how many a weary step is to be taken before they can form themselves into a mass, which
has a true personality." For the sake of peace Paine wished the revolution to be peaceful
as the advance of summer ; he used every endeavor to reconcile English radicals to some
modus vivendi with the existing order, as he was willing to retain Louis XVI. as head of
the executive in France : Burke resisted every tendency of English statesmanship to
reform at home, or to negotiate with the French Republic, and was mainly responsible for
the King's death and the war