Evening Star, 15 Sept. 1834, p. 2. Readex: America’s Historical Newspapers. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.
TPHA note 8/18/26: Thomas Cooper was born in London in 1759 and was a man described by Thomas Jefferson as “one of the ablest men in America” and by John Adams as “a learned ingenious scientific and talented madcap.” In addition to his interest in chemistry, Cooper was well-known in England as a lawyer of radical political sentiments and after traveling to France during the Revolution, moved permanently to Northumberland, Pennsylvania in 1794 along with Thomas Paine’s friend Joseph Priestly and his family. Later in life, Cooper became an ardent and outspoken defender of slavery.
For the Evening Star.
Paine’s Rights of Man was submitted in manuscript to the verbal and grammatical corrections of Mr. Jno. Horne Tooke, in whose hands I saw them sometime about the close of the winter of 1791. They were published in February, 1792. They were received with such avidity by the public, that a small sized edition, selling at 9d., was struck off by Jordan, his publisher, and I believe at least 50,000 copies were sold. I was at Paris at this time; but previous to my going there, Mr. Paine, whom I had met at Mr. Johnson’s, my bookseller, in St. Paul’s Church yard, gave me letters of introduction to M. de Condorcet, and to his wife, Madame de Condorcet, who read and spoke the English language with considerable facility.—Those letters introduced me to the interesting society of that very talented writer and his family. I found the letters of introduction of Mr. Paine honored with that attention which might be expected toward an estimable and distinguished man.
I returned to London early in the spring. I met Paine at Mr. Johnson’s, with whom he dined two or three times a week about that time. Johnson described him as a modest, sensible, well-behaved man; moderate at the table—never taking less or more than three glasses of sherry wine. I have dined with Mr. Paine in literary society at Mr. Tuffin’s, a merchant in the city, at least a dozen times; when his dress, manners, and conversation were as became the character of an unobtrusive, intelligent gentleman, accustomed to good society. I have heard, Mr. Horne Tooke, when Paine left the company early, offer a wager, that in whatever society he should happen to be, the best remark made in the company would proceed from Mr. Paine. Mr. Sharp will recollect this, should he see the present communication, for he was present at the time. Paine’s Rights of Man were seized en masse at his bookseller Jordan’s, on an ex officio information filed against Paine, which was tried some time in April, 1792. About a month (more or less) before the sheriff seized on Jordan’s stock in trade, who had gained very considerably by the publication of Paine’s Rights of Man, Mr. Sharp called on me one morning, and informed me, that he and John Horne Tooke had attended a meeting of the Revolution Society the evening before; and that a letter was received from Mr. Paine to the following purpose: I cannot vouch for verbal accuracy, but I do assert the substantial correctness of what I now communicate, and I think I am not far wide of the expressions.
It was to the Secretary (or to the President, I forget which) of the Revolution Society, and to the following purport:
“Sir, I never have made, and I never will make for myself, any pecuniary benefit by the works I publish for the good of mankind. Mr. Jordan tells me he is my debtor upwards of a thousand pounds; being the share due to me on the sale of the “Rights of Man.” Mr. Jordan is satisfied with his profits; and I do not know how I can better dispose of mine than to dedicate them to the objects of your Society. I enclose, therefore, for that purpose, an order on Mr. Jordan to pay you, for the use of the Revolution Society, £1000 sterling, and am, &c,
THOS. PAINE.”
The draft was carried to Mr. Jordan, who accepted it; but before it became due, the ex officio information of the Attorney General, and the warrant of seizure thereon, broke up Mr. Jordan’s trade, and compelled Paine to take what care he could of himself. But this unfortunate event does not impeach the generosity or disinterestedness of Paine’s conduct in the transaction.
I have reason to know, that while Paine was a member of the French legislature, he received as his pay 10 livres a day. General O’Hara, from some defect of remittances from England, being a prisoner in Paris, (as I heard) became acquainted with Paine, who generously divided with O’Hara, for a considerable time, his daily pay as a member. The nine livres sufficed for Paine’s moderate wants. The gentleman who will communicate this statement, has often heard a common friend of ours, who was in daily intercourse with Paine for about a twelvemonth before his death, and until the time of his death, speak of him in terms of strong regard and respect, as to his benevolence of intention, his kindness of disposition, and of manners. That he drank more than he ought toward the close of his life, is certain; but our informant was decidedly of opinion that it arose from the temptation of company, and not of liquor. Paine’s opinions on theological topics underwent no change before his death.
Having been intimately acquainted with Thomas Paine for a considerable length of time, when his dress, address, deportment and conversation were such as characterized a well-informed gentleman, accustomed to good society, I am tempted to send you this epistolary tittle-tattle, in vindication (so far I can honestly vindicate him) of a much calumniated, and, as I believe, a truly kind, honest and good man.
I never had any conversation at any time with Mr. Paine on the subject of religion: I never heard him introduce the subject, or remark on it. I have reason to believe the same of Mr. Sharp; whom I do not suspect of coincidence of opinion with Mr. Paine on that debateable ground; I never heard religion disputed or even mentioned in company by any lay friend of mine in that country, so far as I now recollect.
I confess to a fellow feeling with Mr. Paine politically on the seizure of his Rights of Man; as Sir John Scott, Attorney General on the occasion, (now Lord Eldon,) wrote to Mr. Jordan, that if he attempted to sell one of the six thousand copies of my Reply to Mr. Burke, which, after the third edition, Johnson had printed in the same form with Paine’s Rights of Man, he should be compelled to issue an ex officio information against the publisher. I need not say that after this broad hint on the subject, the impression was suppressed.
THOMAS COOPER, M. D.
Columbia, S. C., August, 1834.
Note.—The above is seasonable, as that rascal, Cobbett, who stole Paine’s bones, has now joined the Tory party in this country, and wishes to aid in destroying our Constitution.—Ed. Star.