In concluding his leading editorial, Burk said: “The Polar Star, like a stern and impartial tribune of criticism, shall be open to reasoning on both sides, but it will hear only reasoning. It will curb the spirit of faction; silence the clamor of revenge and heal the wounds of the unfortunate.”
Burk complained of the treatment accorded him by the other Boston papers of the period. In a paragraph, one day, he called attention to the fact that none deigned to notice the Polar Star, and remarked that if its promoters had not taken the trouble to register its birth in the temple of freedom, the world would not have been the wiser.
In another issue, he calls attention to the fact that “a gentleman possessing the wisdom of a Socrates,” declined to subscribe to his paper, “because the editor was an Irishman.” The italics are Burk’s.
The Polar Star and Daily Advertiser gave each political party an equal showing in its news columns, but its editor early incurred the enmity of President Adams. Of the presidential canvass preceding the election of John Adams, who was the candidate of the Federalists, Editor Burk observed in his paper:
“We hope the future president will be as good a Republican as Washington. Never has the venerable patriot been known to utter a sentiment favorable to royalty. He ought to be a friend to the revolution of Holland and France; he ought not to be willing to divide the people by any distinction; Americans should have but one denomination—the people.”
It would seem that President Adams kept a sharp eye on Burk while in Boston. It was his intention, says Burk’s son in his memoirs of his father, to hand the Boston editor over to the captain of a British frigate lying in Boston harbor. Great Britain at that time was claiming all her subjects, wherever found. Many an American vessel was searched for escaped Irish patriots, and on this right of search, the war of 1812 was waged. Had Burk ever been handed over to the British captain, there is no doubt but that he would have been hanged at the yard arm of the vessel. As it was, Burk was obliged to flee from Boston, fearing surrender to the British, leaving his daily paper on the hands of the printer, who soon afterwards abandoned it and removed to Philadelphia, then the seat of the Federal government.
It was Aaron Burr who gave Burk the first intimation of President Adams’ intention to turn him over to the British authorities, and in more ways than one Hamilton’s inveterate political enemy facilitated Burk’s escape to New York, where he published The Time-Piece. Thus, Boston lost a brilliant man and her first daily paper was reluctantly abandoned after six months’ existence.
While in Boston, Burk married a widow named Curtis, formerly Christine Borne. She bore him one son, John Junius Burk, who became a distinguished jurist of Louisiana. Mrs. Curtis had two boys by her first marriage. One of them married a sister of President John Tyler. John Junius Burk left several accomplished children who were justly proud of John Daly Burk, their grandfather, the pioneer of Boston daily journalism. After his New York experience Burk took up his residence among the Republicans of Virginia. Jefferson, Randolph and other distinguished patriots were proud to have him in their company. He wrote one of the best histories of Virginia published, and took an active part in public matters, being in great demand for public speaking.
In the Richmond Enquirer of May 27, 1808, were printed proposals for publishing the ancient and modern music of Ireland, by John McCreery and Skelton Jones. Burk wrote a fine essay on the subject for the work. This book, it is said, suggested to Thomas Moore his Irish melodies. Dr. Robinson, who wrote the preface to McCreery’s work, was a classmate of Moore at Trinity College, Dublin. Burk’s ending was dramatic. He was killed in a duel by a Frenchman in Virginia in 1808. Although Burk was the publisher of the first daily paper in Boston, the impartial historians of the Hub dismiss him by a mere mention of his name when they condescend to refer to his paper at all, but an honored son has preserved the important facts of his distinguished and interesting career.
A most interesting character in pioneer journalism in America was Andrew Brown, an Irishman who published the Federal Gazette in Philadelphia. He, too, was a graduate of Trinity college. He came to America when a young man, settled in Massachusetts, and fought on the patriots’ side at Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. He took an active part in the campaigns of Generals Gates and Greene.