Minor Disciples of Radicalism in the Revolutionary Era

Abstract

In period of intellectual and social upheaval, like that of French Revolution, when issues of tremendous import can not be evaded by any thinking man, characteristic phenomenon is birth of spirit of ardent discipleship. In such time neutrality is out of question. Men passionately attach themselves to those leaders who voice most eloquently principles with which they are in sympathy. Burke, by his destructive analysis of much of fallacious reasoning that supplied philosophical background of French Revolution, and by his powerful statement of political principles upon which rested established order, was bulwark of congenital conservatives as well as of men of liberal spirit who were in habit of thinking sanely and cautiously. Innumerable Englishmen there were who, appalled, like Gibbon, by the wild measures of savages of Gaul, saw in Burke's Reflections a most admirable medicine against French disease, and hoped that England would not be seduced to eat apple of false freedom.' On other hand, there were restless thousands who were hostile to existing institutions. Stirred by promise of new social system in accord with glowing ideals of justice and universal philanthropy, they rallied, with partisanship no less vehement, about such uncompromising radicals as Tom Paine and William Godwin. What one of his disciples, Thomas Clio Rickman, thought of Paine is rubric on spirit of age. It was in Rickman's house that Paine completed second part of The Age of Reason, and on table on which it was written admiring householder placed an appropriate commemorative tablet.2 It followed naturally enough that when Joel Barlow omitted Paine's name from The Columbiad in fear lest Paine's