Part 5

But stop, I confess I had like to have forgotten the certificate of Dr. Child (Increase W. Child) a son of judge Child, one of the most distinguished among the _dramatis personæ_ who figure in the book!--He does go the length of saying, that he voted on the strength of Mr. Bunce's representation. Voted for whom? For Mr. Cowen? O no.--But he voted for a _committee_, who were to meet a _committee_, to make out the _county nomination_!--And shocking to relate, poor Dr. Child was galled into a vote for three of the most respectable men in the town of Milton!!--viz: Daniel Couch jun. Esq. Joel Keeler Esq. late a member of the legislature, and Thomas Palmer Esq!!!--It is derogatory to no man in that town, to say that a more respectable delegation could not have been procured. And what is more shameful still, one of those gentlemen, viz: Daniel Couch jun Esq. whom the Doctor had thus honestly sent _to vote for Mr. Cowen_, actually deceived his constituent, and _voted for Mr. Young_!!!!--Doctor Guild's certificate is very happily illustrated by the burlesque syllogism; _that Moses was the meekest man:--Solomon was the wisest man;--And therefore St. Paul was ship wrecked_. The conclusion of a fraudulent nomination, follows about as direct upon Dr. Child's premises, as the shipwreck of St. Paul did upon the meekness of Moses or the wisdom of Solomon. We should be almost led to suspect from this specimen, that the Doctor is a greater _infant in politics_, than in _dissection_.

This famous pamphleteer is by no means more fortunate, when he approaches the topic of the McBain meeting. The materials of which this meeting was composed are now known as far as the book, which has kindly given their names to the public. It consisted of one _first judge_. One _Sheriff_ and one _Clerk_, appointed under the administration of _Samuel Young_ Esq.--_George Palmer_ Esq. Master in Chancery, As't. Justice, Justice of the peace, Post Master, &c, and whom _the book_ holds out as the _expectant_ of the _Surrogates office_--_Roe_ deputy Sheriff and _ci-devant_ constable--_James Mutt_--_James Thompson_ Esq. who had kindly volunteered, as early as the 1st of April, to take the interests of the county under his charge as _public prosecutor_ and _States evidence_--_Alpheus Goodrich Esq. his partner_--Doctor _Nathan Thompson_ his brother--Mr _Elias Benedict_ his client;--the one willing to _receive_, and the other to _pay_ in certificates of the most current stamp--_A justice or justices_ from Ballston, who knew their political God-father--Dr. _Samuel Pitkin_, who acted as minister plenipotentiary from _Milton_ to _Saratoga_, making thirteen, who it is admitted, were from all the different towns enumerated in the caption of the meeting viz: Ballston, Stillwater, Galway, Saratoga, Greenfield and Milton. Add to these some others of minor note, and you make, as the Citizen would have it, the number of 21 _or more_. The Citizen too tells us he was there; but whether in the character of ---- ---- or ---- we are left to grope in the gloom of conjecture.

Such was the formidable _Areopagus_ convened to purify the _body politic_; to correct the poor misguided county convention;--and guard the people against _being their own worst enemies_; such was the assembly presented to the public as a _numerous and respectable_ meeting from 6 towns out of 14 (judge Child and Dr. Thompson kindly representing the towns of _Greenfield_ and _Galway_.)

No sooner had this _numerous meeting_ assembled, than it was tho't necessary to divide them into the proper committees;--This being more _genteel_ and _parliamentary_ than to act in a body;--Accordingly _Stillwell, Thompson and Palmer_ were created a committee to draw up the proceedings of the meeting; _Child_ and _Stillwell_, a committee of _Logic_ and _Rhetoric_, to call on _absent friends_ and get them to consent that he _should resign. Mott_ and _Child acted_ as a _committee of vigilance_ to pick up and report scraps of conversations and letters from Mr. Gowen after the meeting was over. _Mott, Thompson, Kasson, Stillwell, Roe,_ &c acted as a committee to report to the county, the fraud which had deprived _Mr Young_ of his undoubted right to go to the Legislature, whether the people were _willing_ or _not_. Mr. Elias Benedict to draw up the proceedings of _Mr. Wilkins_ and _possibly_ to enforce the statute for the suppression of Vice and Immorality;--and committee of the whole to tell the county they had been there; and do away the strange reports which had gone abroad, that they were a little self-created body, without _precedent, authority or premises_, resembling what saucy people would call a _faction_.

All might yet have gone well, had not _Stillwell_ been such a miserable _slouch_ at telling a story. It appears that Stillwell and Palmer had written a history of the meeting for publication, in which _Mr. Cowen_ tells the meeting, "that _they_ must be responsible if they act without his absolute resignation." See p. 24 and 5. This presumptuous act throws the Citizen into a whirlwind of passion; and he falls a _cursing like a very drab_, at _Palmer, Bunce and Cowen_, apparently not believing that his _friend Stillwell_ would ever have told so dangerous a _truth_. He calls it a _farrago of nonsense_, after having before asserted that _Palmer as Secretary_ had nothing to do with it; that it belonged exclusively to the _committee of publication;_ and _then_ recollecting that Palmer and Stillwell were a majority of that _committee_, and consequently the _proper authority_, he takes another leap, and says, that the _rough draft_ of the _proceedings_ were given to _James Thompson Esq_ for wham he claims the _copy right_.

Now altho' _Thompson_ is unwilling to be outdone in telling a story, and tho' he had peaceable and quiet possession according to _the book_ of the _consciences_ of _Stillwell and Child_, instead of telling the public that _Mr. Cowen had resigned_, he says something which to be sure would look "_like that_," _as the citizen says_, upon the first impression; but which on being critically examined, contradicts the fact on the face of it. Even the compound of jargon and inconsistency drawn up by Thompson, and published in page 16 of the book, could not be tortured into an _unconditional resignation_. Mr. Cowen is there made to say, not that he _resigned_ nomination;--But that for reasons there enumerated, "it was his _personal wish to resign his own nomination_ &c. and he submitted to the decision of the meeting, the question whether it would be most expedient to act on his _resignation which_ he now made (_which_ must refer to the _personal wish_ before expressed, for no other resignation is pretended) if the meeting should judge a postponement impracticable, or to postpone acting until he could have time to communicate to some of the particular friends of his nomination (beside those who were present at the meeting) his reasons for resigning, and procure their concurrence _before hand_ &c."

Mr Cowen thus makes the concurrence of his friends _before hand_ a _condition precedent_;--but the meeting disregard it--reject the condition, and gravely resolve to accept _a resignation_, which had not yet been tendered to them. Such is the rickety production which came straggling before the public in search of the Secretary, who had refused it the sanction of his name. In order to remedy this evil, and "_throw it into form_" as the citizen would say, _his_ name gives place to that of _Thompson and Stillwell_, who it is agreed are _larger_ men than the Secretary,[10] and must therefore carry greater weight. Even the certificate which follows, signed by nearly the whole of the meeting, after going on to say that Mr. Cowen openly and publicly resigned, immediately defeats itself by referring back to, and adopting the statement drawn up by Thompson as a _candid, fair and faithful statement of facts_;--and it is evident that such part of the certificate as overshoots the premises upon which it is professedly founded, must mean nothing more than to give a _construction_ advocated by the Citizen, and which they esteem so necessary for their defence. The certificate of Peters, Stewart and How, shew the miserable shifts to which the Citizen and his friends were driven in order to bear themselves out in their conduct. They are perhaps excusable so long as they keep to the question of _construction_; but when they tax the zeal of their friends with certificates and declarations so far beyond what they themselves are willing to say--nay, which actually _contradict_ the certificates and declarations that precede them, one is almost induced to overlook the difficulties of their defence, and to suspect the moral honesty--not of these men; but of those who have drawn them into this singular situation.

After all this round of certifying and reasoning, the shoe still continues to pinch, and the first Judge again appears before the public to help the defect. Altho' he signed Thompson's statement in which he is careful to make use of the language employed by it, and the epithet _personal_ when he speaks of Mr. Cowen's language, yet when he afterwards hears of a distinction between _personally_ and _absolutely_ he seems almost struck dumb with astonishment, and says he had never heard of the distinction before. Now altho' the public will make all rational allowance for the judge's want of distinction where Mr. Thompson is concerned, yet I suspect they could hardly account for his present lack of apprehension, unless he took that statement upon tick, and signed without reading it.

Still despairing of any thing like a defence upon this ground, the Citizen at length, p. 24, dismisses his whole train of statements, certificates and letters, & undertakes very learnedly and elaborately to refine upon the distinction; and insists that if a man expresses his _personal wish to resign_, it is to all intents and purposes a _resignation_, and that no other was ever heard of; as if it was impossible to consult the opinions of others, and make a _general resignation_ depend upon their consent. All that it seems necessary in that case, is for the McBain meeting to resolve to accept what they thus are pleased to call a resignation, and nominate another candidate. And this it seems accords with the sense of all the world on the subject, both federal and republican. Thus the world are at length after a lapse of ages, furnished with an easy recipe for a resignation--a sort of _panacea_ to correct all the sores of the body politic and produce a "_speedy composure of the public mind" "Tereatis Risum Amici_;" and call no one a political quack playing off his whimsical nostrums upon the people, whose mental repose lies so near his heart. If the meeting are told that they _shall be responsible if they act on a declaration thus limited_, keep it out of view as much as possible, or say as the citizen does, p. 40, that it was only something _like that_ or _out of season_, or some such thing. If a committee of _three_ are chosen to publish the proceedings and _two_ of them write a _farrago of nonsense_ which puts the whole together by the ears, in order to decide the quarrel and "_speedily compose the public mind_," let them raffle upon the question, and to see that every thing is fair, appoint the _First Judge_ to hold the hat. Ancient history tells us of more important controversies than this, decided in the same way;

Old Hector was a wary chap, At pitch and chuck and hustle-cap, An old Scotch bonnet quickly takes, In which he three brass farthings shakes; Then turn'd his head without deceit,

To shew them that he scorn'd to cheat; And cries aloud, here goes, my boy, 'Tis _heads_ for Greece and _tails_ for Troy; Then turns the cap: _great Troy_ prevails, _Two farthings_ out of three were tails.

But it is time to lift the curtain, and attend more minutely to the _chief jugglers_ who figure behind it. _The Sheriff and others_, who sign the McBain certificate, alledge that Mr. Cowen (_according to their construction_) not only _resigned his nomination_ but _did so_ without any previous _request (as they perceived)_ It would seem from _this_, that these men were kept as a sort of _puppets_ to dance in accordance with the wires which actuated them, from behind the scene; being thus, _according to their own account_, strangers to the _pressing request_ made to Mr. Cowen, and the _arguments_ by which it was enforced. They are excluded the main _performance_ and reserved for the _farce_--probably for the _wisest_ of reasons, as there are certain important parts which would be ruined in _vulgar hands_. It is time that these men _should perceive_, if they have _not yet learned_ one important fact among others, which their famous masters, _Thompson and Child_, have thus hypocritically concealed throughout. For this purpose I give the following extract of a _letter_ from Judge Child, written on the subject of that _meeting_, the day after it took place, dated at Greenfield, April 19, 1815:

"We accordingly met, and had a free candid and friendly _consultation_ with _Mr. Cowen_; and when he came to hear the _communication from Esquire Cowles, Ketchum and Gardner_, on the subject of Mr. Young's _conduct_ and _usefulness_ in the Legislature;--_and taking into consideration all the circumstances_, he cheerfully declared that, _in his judgement_, it was best for him to resign being a candidate; and use his influence for the election of Mr. Young;--but that he _really desired_ an opportunity of _consulting those friends_ who had exerted themselves to procure his nomination, that were not present. It was stated to him that they lived or at least _some_ of them, at such a distance, that it would be very difficult to give seasonable information to the county of his _resignation_ in favor of Mr Young, should it be put bye till Thursday or Friday as he requested;--and that the same _reasons_[11] _which convinced him that it would be proper for him to resign, would satisfy them on the subject_. Mr. Cowen _still_ tho't it would be _the best way to proceed_ and the most gratifying to his feelings, _to take time to consult his friends_."

Thus you see Mr. Cowen was requested to resign, and the _arguments_ in favor of that resignation founded upon the _famous certificate_, dated Albany, April 17, 1815, published Ante, page 4--a statement _jesuitically_ calculated to shew that the zeal of his friends had, _by perverting the conversation of Ketchum &c._ aided in procuring _his_ nomination. And when he expresses a _desire_ to consult his friends; _an answer_ is ready, emanating from the same false and deceptive source. Thus are the most _shameful arts_ employed to destroy his _confidence in those friends_, and induce in him a reluctance _under all the circumstances_ (as the first judge expresses it) against being a candidate--You thus see their _rotten certificate_ made the foundation for the _rise_--_progress_ and _result_ of that _meeting_. Thus does the charge of DUPLICITY, FRAUD and FALSEHOOD recoil upon the heads of those _arch-certifiers_, or _the men_ employed in _obtaining_ and _giving currency_ to their shameful communication.

It then in fact ceases to be a question what was _said_ or _done_ by that meeting, or any member of it. For according to every principle of reasoning, _divine_ or _human_; if the _whole_ was grounded on _fraud_, the whole was a _nullity_, and possessed no _moral force_. "If" says the book, "Mr. Cowen's _nomination_ was procured _by fraud_, it cannot be called a _nomination_; and may be departed from with impunity." It turning out on investigation, that his _nomination_ was a _perfectly fair one_, and his pretended _resignation_ founded on the _grossest duplicity_;--whether it was _conditional_ or _absolute_, whether it was _personal_ or _general_, it is void, and unworthy the name of a _resignation_. _Eternal justice_ disavows it; _Political justice_ disowns it; and _common sense_ condemns the perversion. The _nomination_ of _Mr. Young_, by a meeting thus _packed_ for the purpose, by a few of _his friends_, was not only _void_ for that reason, but it had its origin in the _same duplicity_, and was therefore equally void with _every thing founded upon it_.

Were Young's colleagues correctly informed, as to the manner _their conversations_ were spoken of? or were they deceived by _Kasson_ and _Thompson_ when they called for their _certificates_ at Albany? If the _latter_, they had near one year before giving their _second_ certificate, to correct the error. Why have they always shrunk from investigation? Why in their _second_ certificate, contradict the _first_? Why after having _near a year_ to _prepare_ it, does their _second_ certificate _contradict itself_? As they now stand, they present a more shocking _caricature_ of folly and inconsistency, than ever _figured_ before the public. They have burst the bands of political faith--They have melted the cement of affection, and driven to a returnless distance, the best and dearest of friends. No man knew what to say or think of what they said or certified--Individual ruin is threatened, and the destruction of a _free press_ aimed at; while in the political atmosphere all is uproar, disorder and confusion.

--Alas.--"That _men_, Clothed with a little _brief authority_, Should play such antic tricks before high heaven, As make the angels weep!"

With these men however I have now done--But let their _Pander_ beware; let him _pause and reflect_, ere it be too late--"Already are the sluices of public indignation opened upon him--Already is he _drifted along on the surface of the stream, the object of_ CONTAGION and ABOMINATION"--AN ELECTOR. MAY 1816.

* * * * *

NOTE: The public will duly _appreciate_ the reasons for _postponing_ the publication of the foregoing till _after Election_. The writer hopes he has avoided the example of the _Citizen_, by not _descending_ to the retreats of _private_ character.--Even the author of the book has not been named. The character given of that author, ante page 30 in note, is not intended to apply to any one named in that pamphlet.--Indeed I hope for the honor of human nature, that however _strange_ and _inconsistently_ some of these men have acted who have in that production given their names to the public, yet that none of them are so far gone as to prostitute themselves to the vile purpose of writing such a work as that in which their names are interlarded.

NOTES

[1] _Several hundred of these certificates were a day or two after the McBain Meeting, struck off at the FEDERAL Printing' Office in this Village, and circulated thro' the County during the election_.

[2] _It will be recollected that the writer of this letter is the famous conversation-monger, who together with his brother James Mott, are made the instruments of proving duplicity in Mr. Cowen. John R. Mott pretends that as early as the 1st of March, Mr. Cowen told him that Palmer and Bunce were opposed to Young, &c and yet on the 6th day of_ April _following, he very gravely informs Mr. Cowen by letter, of the very facts which he says Mr. Cowen had told him before. This is the man too who tells so much about_ private _conversation, and Mr. Cowen's_ hesitating _to tell him names; and enjoining him to_ secresy, _and who so very spunkily says that he called Gen. Dunning "a fool." Mr. Cowen must, I think, feel himself greatly indebted to these_ brother _certifiers for their honor and patriotism. This too is the man, who sometime before wrote a fawning letter, asking Mr. Cowen to give him an office (Assistant Assessor of the U.S.) which he had at his disposal; to which Mr. Cowen readily acceded, and afterwards on another written request, conferred the same office on his_ brother certifier _James Mott. [The inhabitants of Halfmoon, will furnish ample credentials, for their extraordinary_ attention _and_ correctness _in the execution of their offices, One of these men shortly before the election was appointed deputy to the Sheriff: He suddenly veers about and becomes a convert to_ court _doctrine, and evinces his zeal in the new cause he had espoused, by his_ anathemas _against his former friends.] These brothers in blood, in politics and in virtue, generously avail themselves of the advantages afforded them by official intercourse with Mr. Cowen on business, and then patriotically tender the fruits of their_ rotten-hearted _labor to_ "the citizen" _and his friends as proofs of duplicity_.

[3] _This was on the_ first _day of the Polls--but it seems by Mr. Bennet's certificate, that as soon as the election was over, Thompson flung off the mask, and exhibited his_ cloven foot _without reserve_.

[4] _Altho' it is a fact well known that this meeting was projected by, and the canting pretences which bro't it together and sent forth the strange account which it gives of itself, originated with_ two or three "demagogues," _yet it is a subject of real regret that a_ few honest men _have suffered themselves to be duped by their shameful artifices. It commenced with_ Mr. Thompson of Milton, _who during the summer past has been very industrious in serving up and peddling little doses of slander against_ Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Bunce, and others. _This man has been a real political_ scold, _ever since he found himself capable of throwing a little confusion into the ranks of the county; He is the first_ male Xantippe _who has reduced the doctrine of scolding to a system, and certified it in a_ book. _Of such characters there is little hopes:_

"_Destroy his_ web and sophistry _in vain_, _The creature's at his_ dirty work _again_."

[5] _Altho' no man more sincerely rejoices in the charitable donations of the people of Saratoga, for the relief of our brethren at_ Sacket's Harbor, _than the writer of these remarks, yet he cannot avoid joining in the general disgust at the vanity of Judge Child, in trying to elicit public applause for himself. The judge cannot bear to hide his charming light under a bushel. Instead of not suffering one hand to know what the other is doing, he is not content with its being published in a_ book, _but advertises his charity in a newspaper as a man would one of his_ stray cattle. _From his liberal conduct to the Editor of the Journal and others, he is perhaps excusable in calling his charity about him as soon as possible, even if he offers a considerable reward for it in the next advertisement which he puts into his darling paper_.

[6] By a new species of logic adopted by the author of the Book, a man is accounted _honorable_ and _virtuous_ by the square foot of carcase. Ergo, "a little man" in stature, comprehends all that is _hypocritical_ and _wicked_. The _great man_, James Merrill, who is the subject of this note, by the above rule is of course, the most _honorable_, best informed and _religious_ man of the whole group, who embellish the fair pages of that "book." It is proper that the public should know a little of his _debut_ and _denoument_ as a political character.

His _first_ notorious feat was performed in his first and last appearance as a member of assembly, where his colleague by a friendly rap on the knuckle convinced him that he was _endeavoring_ to read off a _federal_ vote for a council of appointment, which a federal member had assured him was more _legible_ than the one _prepared_ for him.

The _second_ time as a quid of the _Burr_ stamp, and willing to spend 500 dollars rather than the republican candidate should succeed.

The _third_ time in a _new_ character; with his name blazoned in large capitals in recommendation of S. Van Rensselaer for governor, in opposition to Daniel D. Tompkins in 1813.