Thomas Paine in England Revolution – alternative history
On September 15, 1792 in the port of Dover in Kent, intellectual Republican Thomas Paine was arrested on charges of seditious libel.
Paine was charged with "inflammatory eloquence" in a meeting " Friends of Liberty "on September 12. When he rose to go, William Blake put his hand on he shoulder, saying" You should not go home, or if you is a dead man.
Paine plans to leave the country with fellow Frost and Audibert. However, it never came to France because the collector of customs had received general instructions on their feet, and found three men, including his pockets. Then sealed letters were discovered, given by the Paine by the U.S. Secretary of London, Charles Pinckney Cotesworth. It sent a letter to the American minister in Paris and the other a gentleman and a letter from President of the United States and a letter from Secretary of State United States. While his friends tried to intercede on his behalf, an order of Paine arrived and was placed under arrest. If he had arrived twenty minutes earlier, Paine would have lost the order and to revolutionary France.
On December 18, Paine was charged at Guildhall in London "is a person of character evil, malicious and seditious ", etc" publishes only the crown of this kingdom was contrary to the rights of citizens ", etc.. The Attorney General presented demand, said he did not read the many "false, malicious and outrageous statements, but read only a bit more like" inheritance is a crown to inherit the people, like cattle. "The famous Paine Thomas Erskine defended, but the carefully selected jury, which received two guineas, and a free dinner a conviction and nothing else, decided to issue a guilty verdict. Paine was tight, and quickly passed laws to restrict freedom of expression and publication. Almost inevitably, martyrdom Paine become a rallying point for revolutionaries English. And after his death, his revolutionary agenda to overthrow the monarchy British.
During 1960, the Socialist prime minister Tony Benn will often refer to political language Paine claw and seeking inspiration for a government responsible to submit copies of common sense, Rights of Man and the Age of Reason for heads of state from developing countries.
Authors Note: This story is inspired by David Nash replacing Article ingenious "Paine gain recommended in June 2009 issue of the journal History Today.
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Authors@Google: Barbara Solomon
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