Rodger became associated with working-class radical politics, writing political squibs for a journal called The Spirit of the Union. Shortly after joining the staff of the journal the editor was charged with sedition, found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for life.
Alexander Rodger’s Stanzas on Thomas Paine’s Death Read Post »
![“Reason against unreason” a 1882 illustration by Joseph Keppler and Adolph Schwarzmann shows the “Light of Reason”, containing bust portraits of “Johannes Kepler, I. Kant, Thomas Paine, Jefferson, B. de Spinoza, Franklin, Voltaire, E.H. Haeckel, Tyndall, Huxley, [and] Darwin”, beaming against a large umbrella labeled “Bigotry, Supernaturalism, [and] Fanaticism” – Library of Congress](https://thomaspaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Reason-against-unreason.jpg)
Paine appealed to reason, his ultimate cause was a democratic system of society. His spirit stands in glaring contrast to that of the politico-religious dictators who lorded it over most nations when he wrote, and who have their counterparts today in dictators.
Stories of Paine’s recantation or conversion were once the stock in trade of any self-respecting evangelical preacher or writer. In our more sophisticated age with its closer attention to detail, claims of such a specific nature have given way to those of a more general character.
THIS commemorative volume is something of a botch-potch. Jumbled together are short tributes to Gallacher, extracts from his own writings, a number of essays mostly on literary themes, and a section which re-prints some of Thomas Spence’s work. Amongst the wealth of material there is much of pure gold
BOOK REVIEW: The Heirs to Paine’s Democratic Tradition Read Post »
Some readers may object to the bias shown to the Chartists. Yet if a bias is present it in no way detracts from the value of the work, this, as the author clearly states, is not a “King history” but is concerned with the struggles of ordinary men and women.
It is with deep regret that we have to report the death at an early age of James Harold Croft, Founder Member and Member of the Council of the Thomas Paine Society. Harry played a leading role in the moves to form the Society.
From time to time long forgotten but interesting bibliographical material relative to Thomas Paine comes to light. Such material may offer us nothing new about Paine himself but it often serves to indicate the high regard for his memory his supporters had. One such item recently came my way
The principal event held to date to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the publication of Rights of Man has been the exhibition organised jointly by the Nottingham Co-operative Society, Private Libraries Association and the Thomas Paine Society at the Co-operative Arts Centre, Nottingham.
The exhibition chose the fall of the Bastille as its starting point, which made it of particular interest to students of Paine, and went on immediately to show how his Rights of Man challenged Edmund Burke and the Tories in its support of the principles of the French Revolution.
It has been generally accepted that the only office Thomas Paine was elected to by public vote was a seat in the French Convention. Now thanks to research undertaken by Leslie Davey of Lewes it is now known that Paine was at one time a member of Lewes Town Council.
A member of the Thetford Council has resigned over the decision to erect the statue, but the guests who accepted an invitation to attend included Sir Charles Wheeler, President of the Royal Academy, who made the statue for the Thomas Paine Foundation of America to present to Thetford.
The historic first A.G.M. of the Thomas Paine Society took place in the Sussex town of Lewes on Saturday, November 14th. It was a fitting conclusion to a very active year’s work and fittingly held in a town with many Paine associations.
Thomas Paine Society First Annual General Meeting Read Post »
