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[Mr. ScllcckOsborn, Editorofthe New-Yori
Patriot having been attached by Mr. Noah, <>i
National Advocate, in a very scurrilous man
ner, nnd altogether inconsistent with tin* jrii*
ciples which lie (Mr. N.)profc.-ses to support,in
reply, gives the following account of himself
a connected with the errlv days of Democra
cy in Connecticut. In IWW Mr. Osborn pub
lished a democratic Newspaper in Litchfield,
Conn which Mr. Noah declares to have been
u truly scurrilous and malignant production,”
and that “ for one gross libel on a much re
spected citizen of those parts, lie was prosecu
ted, and lieing too poor to pay the fine impos
ed by the court, was confined in the common
jail of the county"—that lie was “a sworn
friend and bosom companion of a set of noisy
tavern hunters, who were determined to break
open the jail and rescue him" —hilt when about
p, make the attempt were dispersed at the
tight ot the sheriff, “ to whom most of them
Mere known in his official rapacity"—that
there was “ never a greater set of rapscallions,”
—nml concludes w ith a federal ballad, repre
senting the whole Democratic party as a set ot
vagabonds, “ Tagrag and bobtail,” kc. and en
quiring where Mr. O. “ has hid liilnselt lor the
last 17 years,” at the same time supposing it it
were know “ il would not prove more credita
ble to him than the circumstances related." —
We omit most of those parts having a j'resetil
political hearing, either general or local. With
the politics of the parties involved, we have
nothing to do. We copy Mr. Osborn s de
fence merely to show wliat the times have
been w ith the ‘‘Old Democrats"at the North—
w hat were their trials, and what justice they
received in courts of law during the period
which has been properly denominated in Con
necticut, “ The reign of terror.” It is not Mr_
Osborn alone who can complain of formal
mockery and the prostration ot justice at the
hrine of political prejudice. Among numer
ous instances is that of another democratic Ed
itor who darpd to insinuate the fallibility of a
certain clergyman so far as that he was “ a man
of like passions with ourselves” also suffered
for his presumption. In the face of the clear
est evidence, he was subjected to a fine of one
thousand dollars. It is not, and ought never
to be forgotten, that one of the jury on this
trial declared, “that he wished to know no
more of the rase, than that the defendant was
a democrat.” We repeat it, that we wish to
know nothing ofthe differences of the N. York
•ditors, or the opinions which liave caused
them. We give place to Mr. Osborn's defence
merely because we think the overbearing acts
and political sins of the federal party, w hile at
their height of power,ought to be remembered.]
The internal inflammation, which
has finally suppurated, as appears by
the above article, has been raging in
Mr. Noah’s liver ever since he ex
pressed his consternation at the acces
sion of ‘an old Democrat’ (to use his
own words) to the Editorship of the
Patriot. If is doctors have kept
it from coming to a head till now,
not daring to let the patients case be
known, it has broken inwardly—a
case almost decidedly fatal. If Mr.
Noah had*written this article a fort
night sooner, 1 would have been desi
rous that 50,000 copies should have
been distributed even without com
ment: for there is not an ‘ old Demo
crat' ’ in the United States, who w ould
not have laughed with mirth or scorn
at the ridiculous statement. Howev
er, I am much obliged to Mr. Noah,
even for this tardy favor. The fatuity
of thus attacking an acknowledged *old
Democrat ,’ after making that charac
ter his sine yua von of political merit,
is of a piece with the habitual self-la
eeratiou which Noah, like Sancho
J’anza, has inflicted, for the gratifica
tion of his masters.
Mr. Noah has obliged me occasion
all)’ to use the first person. If it is
egotism let him make the most of it.—
l refer Mr. Noah to our mutual person- 1
al, and Ins political friend, Judge ‘
Skinner* for the correctness of the fol
lowing statement, so far as it begins at
Litchfield.
In 1798, when Mr. sent in
his adhesion to Federalism, Selleck
Osbern, a pom - apprentice boy, was
bis master’s acting editor—writing,
liowever crudely, against Federalism :
and in that year delivered a democrat
ic oration, which ,was printed by the
committee. In 1803 lie was editor of
x paper in Danbury, Con.
•In 1805, bv the previous agreement
of the Democratic Members assem
bled during the Legislative Session,
he was solicited to “ take the Federal
bull by the horns,” as the expression
then was used for the daring measure
ot establishing a paper at Litchfield.—
The H’itness wa's established. At that
time the opposition to Mr. Jefferson
was most violent. Tlie democrats in
dividually and collectively, were abu
sed by the Federal papers with moat
shameful licentiousness.
A purse-proud magistrate had a
/oieman in his iron works, who had
been a revolutionary soldier, who was
a Democrat, but who was “ poor.” and
in debt to hint, lie attempted, by nub
licl v reminding Inm of his dependence,
to frighten him from the pulls. The
lioble old soldier presisted.——'The
\\ ITNESS” expressed the indigna
tion of tlw People at this overbearing
attempt, in terms suitable to the occa
sion—in such terms as the People's de
fenders ought always to speak against
open or insiduous usurpation. On an
obsolete statute, the Editor was pros
ecuted, and of course bailed. The
lime arrived when the accused was to
be tried before a bench composed ol
notorious partisans and before a jury
selected at the discretion of the Clerk
ofthe Court. But ‘an old Democrat,' 1
whose retired habits had left him in
the shade of politics and who had been
a revolutionary officer, held out, singly
five davg—declaring that under the
State statute, admitting the truth as
justification in such cases, and under
the weight of the positive evidence of
at least ten respectable witnesses for
the defendant, he would at all hazards
resist a verdict of guilty. No verdict
could be procured.
Four months afterwards, under
second trial, Osborn plead not guilty
and declined defence, throwing him
self upon the court, to the consterna
tion of the same, and the disappoint
ment of a well packed, hungry poli
tical jury. The court, as soon as it
could recover from the shock went
straight forward to conviction, le
vied a fine, ordered bonds for good be
haviour ; an order always considered
as oppressive when applied to an op
position editor, of whose behaviour
those very judges were to be arbiters
—the bonds were hkfuskd, though
tendered and urged by many unex
ceptionable characters present, and
against the remonstrances of counsel
and other friends ; twelve months im
prisonment ensued; during which, the
defendant was twice brought before
the court, and twice refused the bonds.
At the end of the year, the court re
linquished the order, and the fine and
costs were paid, and the prisoner re
leased.
Previous to this prosecution, the
abuse by the federal papers had be- 1
come outrageous. As an instance, i
Judge of the Superior Court had been
known to call the DEMOCRAT'S
collectively “ a stench in the nostrils
of a holy God!” Individually, they
were no less abused. The federal
ists were warned of intended retalia
tion. Some weeks were then given
them to cool away, anti change their
munners—the one-sided truce expired
without cessation of hostilities on their
part —then was opened upon them a
battery, which provoked three unsuc
cessful personal assaults upon the ed
itor of the ‘ Witness,’ and all the
wrath that the worst human passions
could engender.
The occasion which Mr. Noah rep
resents as an attempt to break open
the jail, was a celebration of the anni
versary of independence, when the
poor “ Sheriff,” to whose presence he
gives so much importance, was tietn
blingin his chamber—when 1500 res
pectable ‘ old democrats ,’ from all parts
of the State, and from some neighbor
ing States,in procession, passed the
grated window of the editor of the
* Witness,’ and uncovered at saluting
distance; among whom (we take this
liberty with his name, not without
diffidence) was that ‘ old democrat,’,
John C. Calhoun, Esq. who was the j
only one out of a numerous law school j
who dared thus to brave the displeas j
ure of his preceptor —that very pre
ceptor who had declared democrats to ‘
be *peculiarly a stench in the nostrils j
of a holy Hod.’ The day passed in
pet feet order, and after the last salute
from a democratic company of artilery
which had marched 36 miles over the
mountains for the occasion ; that com
pany, and the company generally,
retired peaceably to their homes.
During this turmoil, an accession
of about 2300 subscribers accrued ;
lbr instance, 200 in Savannah,and 200
in Charleston. Even town-ineatings
were held in other states approving
my conduct, and reprobatinj**hat of
my persecutors. The Attorney-Gen
eral ol the United States honored me
with a letter of approbation.
As to where l have hidden myself
for 17 years, l refer to the Boston
‘ Democrat? of 1807 —8; to the mus
ter rolls of the Army for six ensuing
years ; to the Boston ‘ Yankee * in 181 G
and to the Delaware ‘ Watchman’
thence to 1821—during which time I
had the favor of a very high compli
ment from Mr. Noah’s Advocate.
Now, compulsory egotism finished,
I leave it to my feUuw-citi/etis to
Judge between me and Mr. Noah *,
and to decide how far lie has fulfilled
his professions of exclusive democraci/,
in copying the federal abuse and false
hood of 1806, against a consistent ‘old
democrat.**
SELLECK. OSBORN.
From Thalrher't Mililmry Journal.
BARON DC STEI'BKN.
The Baron’s office as inspector
did not procure him the privilege
of command in the line according
to his rank, and at one period he
was commander of a seperatc de
tachment in Virginia, to oppose
the ravages of the enemy in that
qfiartcr. It was with great diffi
culty that men could be procured
for the service, every man was con
sidered as an acquisition. The ba
ron was too honest to suffer an im
position to be practised on the
public. A regiment had been col
lected, and was paraded and on
the point of marching, when a
well looking man on horseback, and
as it appeared his servant on ano
ther rode up and informed the l>a-,
ron that he had brought him a re- j
emit. “I thank you Sir, I’said 1 ’said the J
baron, “with all my heart, you
have arrived in a happv moment,
where is your man, colonel ?” for
he was a colonel in the militia. —
Here, sir, ordering his bov to dis
mount. The baron’s countenance
changed, his aids saw and feared
the approaching storm. A ser
geant was ordered to measure the
lad, whose shoes when off discov
ered something by which his sta
ture had been increased The bar
on patting the child’s head wiih his
hand trembling with rage, asked
him how old he was’ He was 1
very young, quite a child. ‘ Sir,’
said he to the militia colonel, 1 you
must have supposed me to be a ras
cal.’ Oh ! no, Baron I did not.-
4 Then, sir, 1 suppose you to he a
rascal, and an infamous rascal thus
to attempt to cheat your country.
Sergeant, take off this fellow’s
spurs, and place him in the rank,
that we may have a man to serve
instead of an infant whom he would ‘
basely have made his substitute ! I
Go my bov,take the colonel’s spurs
and horse to his wife—make my
compliments, and say, her husband
has gone to fight for the freedom
of his country as an honest man!
should do, and instantly ordered —
platoons ! to the right wheel! for
ward march! Colonel Gasking,
who commandedthe regiment,fear
ing the consequences, after march
ing some distance, allowed the man
to escape, who immediately made
application to the civil authority
for redress—but governor Jeffer
son, Mr. Madison and others, not
doubting the purity of the baron’s
motive, and fully appreciating his
zeal, prevented any disagreeable
results attending this high hand
ed exertion of military power.
General W ashington had a high
esteem for the baron, and was fully
sensible of his worth and merits.—
On all proper occasions congress
was urged in his behalf, and from
time to time he received of money,
good and bad, sums which some
narrow contracted men thought
much too large, though he proved
satislactorilv that he had given up
a salary of five hundred and eighty
guineas a year in Europe. But
what sums or how much could have
been enough for one who searched
around for worthy objects, whose
wants may be relieved. Never
did a review or inspection pass
without rewards in money, to sol
diers whose arms were in the high
est order. Never was his table un
filled with guests if furnished with
provisions. Officers of rank, men
most prominent for knowledge and
attention to their duty, were mark
ed for invitation—hut the gentle
men of his family were desired to
complete the list with others of in
erior grade ; poor fellows, said he,
“ they* have field officers stomahes,
without their rations.”
The baron was as rough as the
ocean in a storm, when great faults
were committed—but if in a sud
den burst ot passion, he had inju
red, the redress was ample. I re
collect, that at a review near Mor
ristown, a lieutenant Gibbons, a
brave & good officer,was arrested on
the spot, and ordered into the rear
fora fault which another had com
mitted. At a proper moment, the
commander of the regiment came
lorward and informed the Baron
ot Air. Gibbons’ innocence, of his
wroth, and of his acute feelings un
der this unmerited disgrace. ‘ De
sire lieutenant Gibbons to come to
the front, colonel. * Sir,’ said the
baron, to the >oung gentleman,
1 the fault which was made, by
throwing the line into confusion,
might in the presence of the ene
my have been fatal. I arrested
you as its supposed author, but I
have reason to believe that I was
mistaken, and that in this instance
you were blameless—l ask your
pardon—return to your command
—I would not deal unjastly by any
much less by one whose character
as an officer is so respectable.’—
All this passed with the baron’s hat
off, the rain pouring on his venera
ble head ! *Do you think there
was an officer, a soldier, who sav<*
itunmoved by affection and respect?
Not one.’
At the disbandment of the revo
lutionary army, when inmates 6f
the same tent or hut, for seven
long years, were separating, and
probably forever ; grasping each
other’s hands in silent agony, 1
saw the baron’s strong endeavors
to throw some ray of sunshine, on
the gloom, to mix some drop of cor
! dial with the painful draught. To
! go, they knew not whither—all re
collection to thrive by civil occu
pations lost, or to the youthful ne
ver known. Their hard earned mi
litary knowledge worse than use
less ; and with their badge of bro
therhood, a mark at which to point
the finger of suspicion—ignoble,
vile, suspicion! to be cast upon a
world long since by’ them forgotten
—severed from lriends, and all the
joys and griefs which soldiers feel!
Griefs, while hope remained—
when shared by numbers, almost
joys ! To go in silence and alone,
i and poor and hopeless —it was too
hard ! On that sad day’ how many
hearts were wrung ! I saw it all,
nor will the scene be eyer blurred
or blotted from mv view. To a
stern old officer, a lieutenant colo
nel Cochran from the Green Moun
tains, who had met danger and dif
ficulty in almost every’ step, from
his youth, and from whose furrow
ed visage, a tear till that moment
! had never fallen —the good baron
j said —what could be done to les
sen deep distress l I‘or myself,
said Cochran, I care not;. I can
stand it—*but my wife and daugh
ter are in the garret of that miser
able tavern. 1 know not where to
temove, nor have 1 means for their
removal! “ Come my friends,”
said the baron, ‘ let us go—l will
pay my respects to Mrs. Cochran
and your daughter if you please.’
I followed to the loft, the lower
rooms being all filled with soldiers
with drunkenness, despair and blas
phemy. And when the baron left
the poor unhappy cast aways, he
left hope with them, and all he had
to give. 4 A black man, with
wounds unhealed, wept on the
wharf: (for it was at Newburgh
where this tragedy* was acting)
there was a vessel in the stream,
bound to the place where he once
had friends. He had not a dollar
to pay his passage, and he could
not walk. Unused to tears, I saw
them trickle down this good man’s
cheeks as he put into the hands of
the black man the last dollar he
possessed. The negro hailed the
sloop, and cried, “ God Almighty
bless you master Baron !”
Some years previous to the ba
ron’s death, a pious gentleman of
the city of New-York, who had a
great affection for him, told me
with strong marks of joy, that they
had passed the evening, and a part
of the last night together—that the
baron confessed his lull belief in
Jesus Christ, with sure and certain
hope, through him, of a blessed
immortality, “ From the life our
dear friend has led, in camp and
in the gay world,” said the good
man, “I feared—and you do not
know what joy I feel, in the belief
that he will be well to all eternity!”
The baron was a member of the
reformed German Church in New-
York.
Sir Humphry Davv k has, within
the last month, discovered that the
application of a certain gas, fifteen
times heavier than the atmostphere,
to the mechanism of a steam-en
gine, will produce a power fully
equal to that which now results
from the application of steam. The
great obstacle which stands in the
way of a general and immediate
introduction into use of this gas, is
the difficulty of confining it. The
task ofconstructing convenient ves
sels, sufficiently strong for that pur
pose, Sir Humphrey proposes as a
problem, the solution of which must
he attended with inestimable benefit
to this country.
Sir Eyerard Home recently made
some interesting inquiries by way
of comparison, between the auricu
lar organs of man and quadrupeds.
The result of his researches seems
to prove that shrill tor es, or the
upper notes of an instrument, have
comparatively little effect in exci
ting the attention of animals, whilst
the full lower tones stimulate them
i almost to fury. Sir Everard ob
serves, “ that the effect of the high
notes of the piano-forte upon the
great lion it* Exeter Change, only
called his attention, which
siderable, though he remained
lent and motionless. Butno ?
er were the flat, or lower
sounded, than he sprung un i ‘?-
his tail, anti yelled viol,**'*
endeavored to break loose ; an u ‘
came altogether so furious as
alarm the spectators present. TV*
violent excitement ceased with t L
discontinuance ofthe music. ft
deep tones of the French horn
so produced a similar effect i
the lower tones of the piano-h
on the elephant, and other animal*
on which the experiment !’
made.”
A writer in the New England
an article on the subject of rearing and fat ’
ing Hogs, says:
“ 1 here 5s * advantagei fi
boiling, steaming or baking a ;j
sorts of food given to swine.
last American edition of the
mestic Ency clopedia informs that
Mr. Timothy Kirk, of York town
Penn, fed one pig with boiledpotal
toes and Indiaif corn and another
with the same articles unboiled,..
The two animals were weighed
every week and the differenceV.
tween them was Gto 9. The ex.
periment was continued several
weeks and the animals alternately
fed upon boiled and unboiled food
with an uniformity of result which
sufficiently showed the very great
profit arising fi oru boiled food’’
Account of the rise and progress
of Dandy ism, about a century ag o ,
from a writer of that day. “Ihave
observed a great many of these
transitory foplings who came tothe
University with their fathers (rus
ty, old, country farmers) in linsey
woolsey coats, greasy* sun burnt
heads of hair, clouted shoes, varn
stockings, flapping hats with silver
hat-bands, and long muslin neck
cloths run with red at the bottom.
A month or two afterwards, I have
met them with bob*wigs and new
shoes, Oxford cut ; a month ortwo
after this, they- appeared in drug
get clothes and worsted stockings;
then in tie-wigs and ruffles and
then in silk gowns ; till by degrees
they were metamorphosed into
complete smarts.” This last dig
nity-, the smart, or Dandy complete
is elsewhere thus described: —
“ When he walks the streets he is
easily distinguished by a stiffsik
gown, which rustles in the win! as
he struts along: a flaxen tie-wig;
a broad bully-cock hat, or a square
cap of above twice the usual size,
white stockings, thin Spanish bath
er shoes ; his clothes lined with
tawdry silk; and his sliirt rM
down the bosom as well as at the
wrist. He ha3 a delicate jauit a
his gate, and smells veiy phioso
phically of essence.”
A Candid King. —When Gusa'W
the Third, King of Sweden, ws in
France, he was frequently solicitfllto
visit Dr. Franklin, which he always
dined. One of the French
who could use a little freedom
his majesty, begged to know
denied himself an honour which <very
crowned head in Europe woull l 1
proud to embracer *No roan,’** 1 ”
the monarch, ‘ regards the doctor sc*’
entific accomplishments more tlan t
do ; but the king, who affects to lib 3l
enthusiast for liberty, is a hypo' rl . ,e
Asa philosopher, I love ami ai' l|i,rf
the doctor ; but as a politician, I l> ste
him ; and nothing shall ever io* u( ; e
me to appear on terms of
and personal esteem, with a man
my habits aud situation oblige *
detest.’
Hemarkable Occurrence. —1° *' Rl
year 16G4, on the 4th of Decenib' r / 1
boat on the Menia crossing thatst
with 81 passengers, was upset.
only one passenger, named Hug' l ‘’
liams, was saved. On the same J
in the year 1775, another boat
set, containing about 50 person*. *
every soul perished, with the
♦ ion of one, whose name also whs 1 r
Williams; and on the sth ofA' | f l j.|
1820, a third boat, met the fta ”' e J pre
aster, but the passengers of tins *
no more than 25, and singular to
late, the whole perished with u ,e
ception of one, whose name
Hugh Williams.— Bristol JfwW’
Greensboro’, Ain. Oct.-
Xovel Sight.— On Tuesday e' f, J
last, a Hock of 400 geese, of 1
mestic kind, were driven into
place, having been travelled on
from Rutherford county, 1
a distance of 300 miles. * h f a re,-
now in the neihboi hood, and onr
ers can have an oppoitupity 0
plying themselves.