Chapter 4

Mr. Kasson, was early spoken of by the _Independent American_ as an applicant for the _Sheriff's office_, and as it appeals, was afterwards a candidate for the county convention, and pledged to the support of Mr. Young. In consequence of this, the Journal did ask the question to Mr. Young, whether he intended Mr. Kasson as the Sheriff of this county?--and nothing more. I think a farther inquiry was made whether he was not authorised to purchase a "_mansion house_ for the _new secretary_, in the village of Ballston Spa?" on which he preserves a cautious silence.

It is remarkable in this and other instances, with what industry _The Citizen_ manufactures assertions to suit his own purpose, and then denies them. Having at length exhausted his fancy in fabricating, shaping and denying particular charges, hardly one of which ever existed, he ranges up his whole artillery of vengeance;--the battle becomes general:--And the famous Doctor Slop, the man midwife, did not pour a more copious and continued shower of curses upon Obadiah, who had tied his bag of instruments with hard knots, than is thus suddenly let fly upon the devoted head of the Editor of the Saratoga Journal. "_Really_" said the Frenchman to an old woman who had been storming and fretting at Napoleon, "the Emperor, my master would feel himself infinitely grieved, if he knew how hard your _lady-ship_ thought of him."

But it seems the Editor of the Journal "has indulged himself in a course of low and vulgar sarcasms," tho' no particular instance is pointed out. Thus the citizen, after sending his friend, Mr. Elias Benedict, into the bar-room, to certify the _damns_ and _god damns_ of Mr. Wilkins, suddenly becomes extremely modest and refined, and falls to moralizing like Michael Cassio, after his _own_ drunken fit is over. Mr. Bunce might really be esteemed far gone, had he reached the climax of vulgarity which distinguishes the _citizen_ and his _book_.

But says the _book_ in another place, "the manners of Mr. Bunce are _coarse and vulgar_." I suppose an immediate allusion is here intended to the _manner_ in which he treated _Stillwell_ and _Thompson's_ supercilious proposition to agree to print their famous history of the McBain Meeting, without reading it, under penalty of losing the first Judge's patronage in case of a refusal. Perhaps they mean that he did not on that occasion, turn out his toes exactly as he ought; or make a becoming bow to so much mock consequence as surrounded them. I know not in what language to describe their notions. We have already admitted that Mr. Bunce does not pretend to vie in _purity_ of dialect with the certificate of Mr. Elias Benedict. Suppose we also admit that he cannot hold competition with Roe as a profound _linguist_--with Mr. Thompson in _fairness_, _high mindedness_, _openness_ and _candor_--nor with Mr. Linnendoll in belleslettres--and that he would not make so good a _dancing master_ as Mr James Merrill[6] and leave the public to judge whether coming short of these qualifications, he can be any way tolerable in his person or polished in his conversation.

But 'tis said again, that he has presented some of our citizens "in the ludicrous attitude of being in chase of one of the wheels of a _political hack_." This plain farmer-like simile has given great offence, and perhaps justly, to the high and refined notions of certain book gentry; who have been too much in the habit of _hunting_ an _office_, or _chasing_ a _dollar_, to believe that the idea of so ordinary an occupation, could ever have been connected with that of such _great men_ as themselves.

It may not be amiss to here remark, that Mr. Bunce was admitted an Attorney of the Supreme Court in 1804; he settled in the village of Salina in the county of Onondaga; shortly afterwards it was made a post town, and he was appointed Post-Master[7] by the general government, and continued in that office until he removed from that place. Soon after his removal to Bridgewater, Oneida County, he was appointed Post-Master at that place, and continued in that office until he resigned on his removal to the county of Saratoga. During his residence in the Western District, he attended with industry and fidelity to the profession in which he was educated.

Soon after the declaration of war he concluded to quit the practice of law, and purchased the establishment of the Republican press of this county, and became the editor of the Journal.

Mr. Bunce has been a faithful, able, zealous and indefatigable supporter and defender of our republican institutions, and of the measures of our general and state government; and I confidently ask, who ever accused him till this faction commenced their operations. During the memorable campaign of 1814, he was not only vigilant and faithful to our rights as an editor; but when danger threatened from all quarters, he hired, equipped, and sent a common soldier into the field for the defence of New-York.

Several who were active in introducing Mr. Bunce to the republicans of this county, after finding him too independent to bend to their "_particular_" views, and after he had rejected with disdain their proffers to surrender to them his rights as an editor, they formed themselves into a court of Inquisition, and ushered forth their courtly mandates "Bunce must be sacrificed" "the Journal shall go down," even this proscription extended to his family, and to his fireside; and so eager were certain of these factionists, that they formed a plan to break up his establishment by _force_, and actually threatened _to scatter his types_. This fact is too susceptible of proof to be denied.

The republicans for a long time were silent spectators, while viewing the persecution of their editor, and attack upon their own rights and privileges; they fondly hoped, that time would cure the evil, and sober reflection convince them of their error; but in this hope they were disappointed, their persecutions encreased; and to them more certainly to effect their object, and encouraged by the smiles of federalists, they secretly brought a new printing press into the county--it was then the designs of these men were more apparent--it was then the republicans proclaimed their rights, and spoke to these "conspirators" in language too loud not to be heard--too emphatic not to be understood. And as long as these "conspirators" continue their press to war against the rights and privileges of the people, Mr. Bunce as a faithful centinel, will remain firm at his post. What though a gang of office-holders should "in the mild spirit of Christian humility" (see page 7 of the book) fulminate their maledictions against him; the people will not be frightened into submission, nor the editor from his duty.

But the Editor of the Journal has abused some of us, say they--Does the _truth_ abuse them? does the _exposition_ of the _foulest combination_ that ever disgraced this or any other county, _constitute abuse_? Is there such terrible majesty surrounding an _office_? No matter of what _misrepresentations_ they are the authors of--No matter how _basely_ and _shamefully_ they have _belied and slandered their neighbors_--No matter of what deception, hypocrisy and intrigue, they are guilty--No matter how long they have conspired against the rights and privileges of the people--No matter how unbecoming, gross and absurd their conduct may have been; if an independent Editor, in vindicating the rights of the people, and those of his own, questions the propriety of their conduct; they immediately skulk behind their offices, and impudently exclaim, "_touch us not--we are privileged_." 'Pigmies are Pigmies still tho' perch'd on Alps.'

While I would not refrain from censuring the improper conduct of these office _leaders_, I shall ever be ready to extend the hand of fellowship to such as have been deluded by them--Nay, I would go farther, let _them_ exhibit signs of repentance--let them evince a determination to support our republican rights---let them cease to war against the people, their editor, and individuals--let them remove their _pensioned_ press--then shall they have my voice and my heart, to intercede for them with an insulted and abused community.

But faint indeed is the hope of a reformation in _that_ man who violates all honor, truth and decency. Who but the author[8] of that book would charge the Milton committee, of being the tools of "fraud and management?" Who but him would affix the charge of "miscreants" to the republicans of Galway, Milton, Greenfield, Saratoga, Malta and Ballston? Who but him would have the unblushing effrontery to publish, "_that the general committee in nominating Mr. Cowen, instead of Mr. Young, committed an OUTRAGE on the feelings and wishes of their constituents_?" [see page 8. of that pamphlet.] Who but the author of that pamphlet would--but I beg pardon--read the pamphlet itself, and you have abundant evidence of the authors views, his principles, his heart and his designs.

But the vengeful serpents of malice and persecution have not confined their labors to _the book_, Early last spring, a thrust was made at the Editor of the Journal, on the authority _it was said_ of Mr. Hackley, late a member from Herkimer, who _(so Thompson said)_ had authorised him to tell the people, that Mr. Bunce was unworthy of confidence:--nay, to make use of a number of debasing epithets,--such as would quadrate with the palate of Roe or Thompson, much better than that of a gentleman like Mr. Hackley. But as this gentleman has declined appearing in the book, and certainly never did, and never would authorize Thompson to use his name for the vile purpose in which he employed it, I barely glance at this circumstance as one article, which would otherwise have been pressed into the Pandoras box which has been so industriously served up for the public.

Instead of atoning by a mild, moderate and conciliatory course of conduct, for the injuries attempted, not only against an individual, but the public, in endeavoring to put down and destroy a free press; the project is set on foot of introducing and palming upon the county another press;--a child of their own;--a copartner in all their labors, their joys and sorrows. It is however, _one thing_ to introduce a press, and _another_ to get the _people_ to support it. While a few malicious imps, hungering for revenge, were "_grinning horrible a ghastly smile, to hear their famine should be filled_;" the people in a number of different towns assembled, and freely expressed their sentiments on the fatal tendency of such measures; and animadverted with freedom and spirit on the motives which prompted them;--for which the book printed by the printer of their paper, stigmatizes them with the epithet of _miscreants_; and treats the whole of their labors as mere _cant and slang_; I suppose it must mean compared with its own dignified and masterly pages. _The majesty of the people_ is truly a _monstrous Deity_ in the eye of venal and sell-created consequence. It is merely for repeating _some of the sentiments expressed at these meetings_, that the editor of the Journal is assailed as the arch-disturber of our political repose.

_The Citizen_, in one place storms furiously at the allegation, that the _Albany committee_ had advised them to remove their press. That committee was appointed to inquire into the difficulties which agitated the republican family in this county, and devise if possible the means of removing them. Thompson as _chief cook_ of his own party, appeared before them, with the book in his hand and Judge Child at his elbow _as usual_; and I do believe the citizen from my very soul, when he says they gave him no such advice. The committee were composed of _sensible_ men; and after listening to his incoherent display of folly and nonsense on that occasion, it would be literally casting pearl before _swine_, to have given them any advice on the subject.

Having established and considered some extraneous facts, for which I am aware certain _gentlemen_ will not thank me especially as it may disorder the thread of their own reasoning a little; I shall now proceed briefly to consider the charge of FRAUD, FALSEHOOD, DUPLICITY and CORRUPTION, as it appears in the book itself, on their own proof, independent of the foregoing _memorandums_, leaving the memory of Mr. Young's _colleagues_ and others at full leisure to be refreshed by them.

That charge it will be recollected, is the turning point of the controversy;--the _vox et preterea nihil_, which _boils, and foams, and wheels_ thro' _the book_, like a torrent thro' the _Augean_ stable, collecting in its course accretions of foulness and impurity. For this purpose, Mr. _Bunce_ and Mr. _Palmer_ are represented as a political _Archimedes_, controlling at their will the destinies of the county;--dictating the number and sort and deliberations of the county delegates, prostrating the Speaker of the house of assembly; and dealing _havoc, spoil_ and _ruin_ around them. Mr. Cowen is represented as their associate, aiming at his own elevation thro' the lowest arts of cunning and duplicity. But fortunately for the cause of common sense, the touch-stone of these mighty maggots of the brain are the _facts_ on which they are founded. And here let us for a moment take them as they stand among the certificate gentry, and examine their actual bearings;--in doing which I shall still have occasion to mention names, who, if they have finally not much cause for self gratulation, must thank their good friend _the Citizen_ for bringing them before the public.

The Motts[9] say, that on or about the 21st of March, Mr. _Cowen_ told them that _Young_ was becoming _unpopular_;--that he had behaved haughtily and disrespectfully towards his colleagues; and that a few days before, he had been informed of this fact by several gentlemen to whom they were referred. Now it will be recollected that Mr. Cowen and John R. Mott were two of the _delegates_ from Saratoga, and as such mutually bound to discuss with freedom the _allegation for and against_ Mr Young, or any other person who would be a candidate before the general committee; and Mr. Cowen at this time _at least_, had no reason to doubt the truth of what Young's colleagues had asserted. He also mentioned it to James Mott, who was spoken of as a substitute in the event of his brother's absence. It seems he also conversed freely with these men on the subject of _his_ having consented to be considered a candidate, and (so James Mott says) examined the probability of his success, by calculating the favorable state of the delegation. But it seems that communications to these _leaky gentlemen_ on the subject of candidates are not to be made under any circumstances with impunity; and Mr. Cowen is to be censured as _criminal_ for giving that information, which it would have been _criminal_ to withhold. The only way to make his act in this respect _criminal_ is by saying, "he ought to have known that Young's colleagues had _lied_." But it will be recollected that this was impossible, for the public did not know them _then_ as well as it does _now_; nor had Mr. Cowen yet seen their _certificate_ which is herewith published, by which they acknowledge _what the book_ is so anxious for Mr. Cowen to have assumed. He did afterwards see it, and then (so say the certificates) bore public testimony to his opinion of the merits of Mr. Young, as well as afterwards by letter to judge Child.

Thus does the charge of duplicity, made against Mr. Cowen, resolve itself into a base attempt to fix upon him, what so snugly suits the shoulders of others. It seems he finally bestows that justice upon a _political adversary_, which the baseness and treachery of his _colleagues_ and pretended friends had withheld. Am I acting the part of an accuser towards those men? No. They have accused themselves. Why are they again before the public? Had they hopes of skulking into obscurity among the _motley_ multitude of certificates which throng the folio of _the book_? or have they like one of the moral personages in _Hudibras_, "_catch'd the itch on purpose to be scratch'd_?" It now requires an eye less keen than that of a ministering spirit to pierce the cob web veil which shields them from detection.

But in the process of this investigation, we are led to the consideration of a subject "_too awful for irony_." The interested certificates of these men are ushered to a Christian public, and a higher sanction demanded for them, by the author, than he is willing to allow to facts attested under the _solemnity_ of _an oath_. One could hardly have anticipated this _atheistical_ appeal to the credulity of the public, even tho' human nature were as vile and monstrous in _others_, as it appears to be in _that author_. But perhaps there was a necessity for it, in order to preserve the _dark_ uniformity of his production. If, as has been asserted more than _one_ of his prominent certifiers (among whom I would by no means rank these men) are themselves _atheists_, what could he swear them upon?--Upon the evangelists think you?--He might as well swear them on Payn's age of reason, or his own vile book itself. Where they "believe that their miserable bodies must take eternal refuge in the grave, and the last puff of their nostrils will send their souls to annihilation, they laugh at the solemnity of an oath and tell you that the grave into which they sink as a log, forms an intrenchment against the throne of God, and the vengeance of exasperated justice!" Such is the character which the writer fixes upon _himself_.--Such is the character which several of his _disciples_ sustain in public.

True, the falsity of an extra-judicial oath, carries with it no _temporal_ punishment; but the _moral obligation_ remains to give it validity. That _eternal reward or punishment_ which the _Citizen_ has taken so much pains to blot out from the mind of his readers, will still continue the delight and terror of the Christian, the eternal fountain of his hopes and fears;--with him a sufficient motive to truth, without the artificial and imperfect aid of _national law_. The affidavits of four or five _credible witnesses_ were already before the public, that Mr. Young's Colleagues did make a charge against him; but it seems that every moral sanction must be trampled upon or trifled with by the _Citizen_, to secure a triumph for his false and infidel principles. He skips, like a grasshopper, over facts and premises and propositions, and perches upon his pitiful assertions, which he wishes the public to pervert into conclusions. Why did he not give these affidavits lo the public?--He cannot surely complain that he forgot them, for they appear to haunt his guilty imagination through the whole of his progress; nor can he complain of wanting room. But the answer is easy. He knew it would make his bait so very bad that even his own gulls would not nibble.--

He was afraid of injuring his credit as an author even among his _own sort_--for these affidavits prove conclusively and indubitably, that not one jot nor tittle more was uttered against Mr. Young, than what emanated from his own colleagues, in the course of the winter of 1814 and 1815.

It is still more remarkable so far forth as the charge of fraud is concerned, with what logical precision _the Citizen_ pursues his inquiry.--One is naturally led to expect from his _positive rant_, nothing short of _point blank demonstration_ at least, that the fraud, (which if there was any originated with Mr. Young's colleagues) had produced the desired effect. That the attempt to cheat the people out of this _mammoth legislator_,--this _sine qua non_ to their political salvation, should have at least produced some influence with the men upon whom it was exerted. Is there no _lost and wandering sheep_ ready to return to the fold, and certify the delusions practised upon him by these wolves in sheeps clothing? Even Mr. Thompson, whose attention is apt to be otherwise directed, the moment he falls in conversation with Palmer and Bunce, scents out the fraud with all the instinctive keenness of a blood hound--Mr. Kasson on the same track, hardly the length of a nose behind, and unwilling to be outdone in sagacity, echoes the howlings of his leader. Judge Stillwell, tho' it seems the dullest of the pack, follows hard and completes the choir; or in other words Thompson and Kasson make a certificate that they _were not deceived_, and Stillwell _endorses_ to give it a proper currency.

Even Mr. Roe lays claim to the same spirit of discernment, tho' his title to that claim might be questionable on another _ground_. He is readily led into a conclusion that Mr. Wilkins must have visited the Northern towns to procure Mr. Cowen's nomination; when it happens that the committees in those towns had been chosen before his name had been mentioned in them as a candidate, and before he had consented to be considered one. Mr. Roe had much better have satisfied himself by consulting the northern delegation on this subject. He is remarkably _alert_ to detect a _fraud_ where there is none, but is willing to take any thing upon _tick_ which accommodates his good friend the _Citizen_. He certifies that he could not be deceived by the poor stories of Palmer and Bunce;--But believing the public to be greater numbsculls than himself, imagines that he can trick them into a belief, that the gentlemen who composed the northern delegation (among whom are many of the most respectable names in the county) are the mere creatures of another's will. It is perhaps fortunate that this man is an exception to the general law of nature, that _like_ produces _like_, or he might have made _tools_ of the whole county convention.

Who then was defrauded?--The Molts are by no means willing to admit that this was the case with them. The Citizen cannot produce even one poor certificate from any _one_ of the _county convention_, that they were deceived or misled--neither Mr. Deake nor judge Child were of the committee, and if they had been, they are both so good as to tell us they were not gulled in that instance _at least_. John R. Mott, one of the delegation from the town of Saratoga, according to his own certificate had gone to New-York and sent Mr Olmstead who, with Mr. _Cowen's consent_ (for it must have been by his consent that he acted as a substitute) sat in convention, and voted for Mr. Young. Thus ingeniously does the citizen rummage the chain of cause and effect, to eke out his favorite conclusion.