A Review and Exposition, of the Falsehoods and Misrepresentations, of a Pamphlet Addressed to the Republicans of the County of Saratoga, Signed, "A Citizen"

by Elector

Amongst other things in order to create a pretence for their book, it will be recollected that judge Child has authorised the charge of falsehood against the Journal in its maintaining that he had threatened to get a new press into the county &c.—Indeed the judge appears to be remarkably well pleased with that production, not only by his long certificates, but by a letter which he afterwards wrote to the printer of the Courier, recognizing its merits and trying to divide with federalists the honor of carrying clothes to the army;[5] which it seems was given him by the book in order to render his standing as a certifier more conspicuous, by uniting on his broad brow, both the military and civic wreath. How far the denial of this mock Cincinnatus that he threatened as early as May to get a new press, "with all his blushing honors thick upon him," will satisfy the public, may in some measure he determined by the following certificate.

"I hereby solemnly certify, that on the last of May or first of June last, when at the house of Judge Child, in a conversation relating to the Saratoga Journal, and the conduct of its Editor Mr. Isaiah Bunce, the said Judge then and there made use of the following expression to me, viz. 'You must remember that the friends of Mr. Young, are not men of the least property, nor least influence in the County, and Bunce may have another press set up by his side in less than six months—That he [the said Judge] should withdraw his support from him, and said that it was best for every one to do the same, and then his press would fall of course.' And at the same time said, that he had rather support the federal press at the Springs than the Journal. Shortly after this I informed Mr. Bunce of the above conversation at his office.'—JONATHAN WESTCOTT. Milton, March 14th 1816."

Young and Thompson made similar declarations of their intention to get another press about the same time, with which they have been often charged, and it seems thought best not to hazard a denial in the book—therefore no other certificate but the one relating to Child's has been procured—And the judge's conduct would have been more christian-like, had he written a letter exculpating the editor of the Journal from an undeserved odium cast upon him by his authority, than thus to have given it confirmation and support, at the same time knowing it to be untrue.

Of a piece with this however, appears to have been his previous conduct about the time of his presiding over the abortion at McBains. I allude to his sending the history of that meeting with orders by Thompson and Stillwell, to the editor of the Journal to print without reading it.

"I Lyman B. Langworthy, of the village of Ballston Spa, do certify to my fellow-citizens the following facts;—That on the night of the 20th April 1815, two days after the McBain meeting—being in the office of the Saratoga Journal late in the evening, James Thompson, James Merrill and Wm. Stillwell, Esqs. came into the room. Immediately after being seated, Mr. Thompson who acted as chief speaker, pompously displayed a fold of paper which he wished Mr. Bunce to print off in the form of Handbills by morning, it being then quite late. Mr. Bunce wished to see it and its contents.

"Here Mr. Thompson to my astonishment flatly refused, unless Mr. B. would first promise on his word and honor that he would positively and unconditionally agree to print it let it contain what it would. This bro't on a long parley; Mr. Bunce wished to see it if for nothing more than to shew his workman its length, to learn from him whether it was possible to execute it in the time allowed. Mr. Thompson refused, and entered pretty lengthy into the subject, in his precise roundabout manner: asserting that it was none of his business what it contained—that it was impertinent in a 'mechanic' to ask his employers the use or destination of any work he should employ him to do; and frequently by way of a salve interlarding his conversation with 'we do not wish you to do it for nothing Mr. Bunce, we have money enough.' After much chaffering between the parties, judge Stillwell in a very candid manner, desired that the paper might be read, asking him if it contained any thing they were ashamed of. Mr. Thompson then looked to Mr. Merrill as for his opinion. Mr. Merrill said with some warmth, 'he shan't see it.' This brot' on considerable bickerings—crimination and re-crimination between Mess. Bunce, and Thompson, which judge Stillwell tho't rather indecorous, and quite earnestly rebuked the two gentlemen for their wrath, and at the same time said he thot' it high time to deliver judge Child's message. Here Mr. Thompson apparently supposing himself only entrusted with the charge, seemed not to understand.—After a great deal of argument, the paper at last had a 'first reading,' & was the proceedings of the McBain meeting, signed by Child, Thompson and Stillwell; and was delivered to Mr. Bunce, to shew his compositor, who was in bed. Mr. Bunce insisted that some of the gentlemen should deliver the message which judge Stillwell seemed to be so anxious about. Here the three gentlemen were thrown into great confusion—eyed each other as though each supposed the other ignorant of what he himself knew. Judge Stillwell's countenance seemed to labor with something which he was bound to reveal; and Mr. Thompson noting this, desired judge Stillwell if he knew it to let it out. Judge Stillwell then putting himself in an attitude corresponding, as he appeared to think, with the magnitude of the subject, began by saying that judge Child had instructed him to say to Mr. Bunce, that he had always been a particular friend of his—had always given him all of his business—and should be sorry to withdraw it after the friendly intercourse which had subsisted between them—that it was the earnest desire of judge Child that Mr. Bunce should have the refusal of printing it; 'but as a last resort say to him from me, that if he refuses to print it as desired by Mr. Thompson, that I forever withdraw my patronage from his press.'"

Here Mr. Bunce indignantly threw back the paper to Mr. Thompson, and declared that under those circumstances he should not print it—saying that after buffeting the storm of federalism, and the dark days of the wars of our country, he little expected such treatment from one whose duty it was to protect the press &c. &c.—and it was after much persuasion, and partly through my own importunities, that he was induced to print it.

"Mr. Bunce's conduct through the whole transaction, which must have lasted two hours or more, was consistent, firm and independent to my conception, as was the others haughty, supercilious and overbearing.—Lyman B. Langworthy. March, 1816."

Here fellow citizens is the iron club of power held over the head of an editor of a free press, during an election—to coerce him and his press into obedience to their dictates. What are we coming to when men high in office use their offices, influence and patronage to control the freedom of the press, which all the champions of freedom esteem the organ and safeguard of our liberties—and attempt to compell it to bend to their purposes—to sell itself and rush blind fold on any measure their interest or ambition may dictate?

The independent conduct of Mr. Bunce on this occasion was probably one reason among others why the judge aided in the introduction of another printer of the more pliant sort; who would more readily bend to his purposes and serve as a pipe with which his friends Roe, Thompson, Stillwell &c. could spit their venom thro' the county in the more permanent form of a pamphlet.