Binns removed to Philadelphia and established the Democratic Press, March 27, 1807. This was the first paper which used the word “Democratic” in its title.
May 15 Binns delivered the “Long Talk” before the Tammany Society, which caused him in September to be dismissed from the society. Then the fight between the Aurora and Democratic Press opened in all its fury, and the battle for the leadership between Duane and Dr. Leib on one side and John Binns on the other was commenced.
Binns came out against Dr. Leib for Assembly and Duane for the Senate. The former was elected, but Duane was badly beaten. This was the Aurora’s first defeat and it groaned aloud.
Binns was powerful in the election of Snyder in 1808. He had brought back the Constitutional Republicans into the fold and was able to control the party against both Duane and Leib.
Dr. Leib was elected to the United States Senate early in 1809, but Governor Snyder’s course was by no means pleasing to Duane. The Press defended him, while the Aurora criticized everything he did. The Aurora threatened to impeach the Governor, and Binns called the Aurora and its supporters “The Philadelphia Junto.”
Binns and his party favored war with England, and here again he came into opposition with “Leib, Duane & Co.,” as the Press called them.
Duane and Leib lost all control of the Legislature. In 1811 the Federalists were successful, and Snyder was overwhelmingly re-elected. The Aurora published nothing about the impending war, the Press supported every movement which forwarded its progress, and this was the popular side. Governor Snyder appointed his friend Binns as aide-de-camp, and he was active throughout the war.
Leib was appointed Postmaster at Philadelphia in February, 1814, but Binns succeeded in having Postmaster General Granger removed, and his successor immediately removed Leib, who then disappeared from the political field.
Duane soon followed Leib into political obscurity and Binns was in the zenith of his power. Had Binns not quarreled with Findlay soon as his election he would have held his power for many more years. It was particularly unfortunate that he opposed the election of Andrew Jackson in 1824 and afterward.
He was appointed an alderman by Governor Hiester in 1822, a position he held for many years.