, Mr. Paine wrote to Congress as follows:
"As I can not consistently with my character as a freeman, submit to be
censured unheard, therefore to preserve that character and maintain that
right, I think it my duty to resign the office of secretary of the
committee for foreign affairs, and I do hereby resign the same."

He now opens up on Silas Deane a terrible battery of invective, and
exposed the fraud so completely, that Congress became ashamed of
supporting him, and Mr. Deane absconded to France, and afterward died in
England, it is said, of remorse, after taking poison. But Mr. Paine
became the "_victim of his integrity_," to save the money of the
government, which the soldiers were sorely in need of, and to bravely
push forward the "_business of a world_."

But, during this time, he has also written Nos. II, III, and IV of _The
Crisis_. No. II is to Lord Howe, dated January 13, 1777. This is one of
his finest pieces of satire, which is also filled with sentiments of
patriotism, courage, and hope. These periodical productions are among
his best efforts, and they were continued till the war ended. There are
sixteen in all. They were written to produce patriotism in the hearts of
the people. No. VIII, I think, is one of the finest productions I ever
read. It is addressed to the people of England, and is the sad wailing
of Junius.

In December of 1778, he puts forth the proposition to apply steam to
navigation--the first thought of the kind in America, which came in
advance of the fact about eight years, and in this America was the first
in the world.

Mr. Paine offers, at this time, to be one of a party of four or five to
set fire to the British fleet in the Delaware. But the three men like
him can not be found.

In 1779 he is appointed clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

In 1780 he is dissuaded and prevented from going to England to get out,
in secret, a publication to stir up revolution there. The fates will not
permit him to try Junius over again. It is as well.

But the spring of this year was marked with an accumulation of
misfortunes to our army. The defense of Charleston had failed, and,
besides this, there was no money to pay the soldiers. A general gloom
rested on the whole country, patriotism was at its ebb, and petitions
were abundant to exempt the people from paying taxes. Government had
neither money nor credit, and things had come to a "_dead lock_."
Washington wrote to the Assembly of Pennsylvan