6325. PAINE (Thomas), Rewards to.—[continued].
I still hope something
will be done for Paine. He richly deserves it;
and it will give a character of littleness to our
State if they suffer themselves to be restrained
from the compensation due for his services by
the paltry consideration that he opposed our
right to the Western country. Who was there
out of Virginia who did not oppose it? Place
this circumstance in one scale, and the effect of
his writings produced in uniting us in independence
in the other, and say which preponderates.
Have we gained more by his advocacy
of independence than we lost by his opposition
to our territorial right? Pay him the balance
only.—
To James Madison.
Ford ed., iv, 17.
(P.
Dec. 1784)
