USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 12
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ents and official influence deplorably successful in contaminating public morals. And it is not more than the misfortune of the other candidate that he is found in such company." The campaign of 1824 was exceedingly important and bitter in the county. Henry R. Storrs had been nominated for representative in Congress by the Republican party, and for members of assembly the nomi- nations were Joseph Kirkland, Israel Stoddard, David Pierson, Samuel Wood- worth and Broughton White. The opposing ticket for Congress was James Lynch, and for members of assembly Thomas H. Hamilton, William H. May- nard, Asabel Curtis, Fortune C. White and Benjamin Hyde. At this time po- litical discussion was not carried on through the medium of newspapers to any large extent, for the reason that the daily paper was then unknown, and other papers were few and issued at odd intervals, except, perhaps, a few weeklies. Under such circumstances the political parties and their candidates assailed each other on the rostrum and through the medium of printed circulars. Per- haps the best method of showing the exact condition which existed in this county during this notable campaign is to set forth a few of the many circulars which were issued by the respective parties and their candidates. The supporters of Clinton held a meeting in Utica, October 12th, and after adopting certain reso- lutions adjourned the meeting to a future day, and called the adjourned meet- ing by issuing the following circular :
REPUBLICAN MEETING OF YOUNG MEN
"At a numerous and respectable meeting of the Republican young men, of the town of Utica, convened pursuant to public notice at Col. Hooker's Long Room, on the evening of the 12th October, Mr. Samuel G. Walker was called to the chair and Mr. William Walker appointed secretary.
"On motion, it was resolved, that a committee of five be chosen to draft reso- lutions expressive of the sentiments of this meeting, on the nominations made at the state convention held in this town, and on those made at the county con- vention held at Whitesborough.
"Messrs. J. H. Ostrom, Seth Gridley, Charles R. Doolittle, J. P. Gould and J. G. Lundegreen, were then appointed as a committee, and after retiring for a sufficient length of time, returned and reported the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted :-
"Resolved, That it is the duty of Republicans and free men, at all times, to express fully their opinions of those who are entrusted with the administra- tion of public affairs, and especially so when they attempt to infringe upon those rights which have been purchased by the blood of our fathers, and secured to us by the letter and spirit of our Constitution.
"Resolved, That the denial by the Legislature of the right of suffrage, to Two Hundred and Sixty Thousand Freemen of this state, is an act of direct hostility to the rights of the people, and subversive of the free principles of our govern- ment.
"Resolved, That we disapprove of national and state legislative Caucuses.
"Resolved, That we disapprove of the nomination of Samuel Young and Erastus Root, because they received their nomination from a Caucus of that Leg-
BARON STEUBEN'S RESIDENCE IN THE TOWN OF STEUBEN, 1790
BARON STEUBEN'S MONUMENT IN THE TOWN OF STEUBEN
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islature who defeated the electoral law, for the purpose of furthering the views of a favorite chieftain, who is driving a lucrative traffic in the suffrages of free- men at Washington.
"Resolved, That we concur in the nomination made by the State Convention, at Utica, of
"DEWITT CLINTON for Governor, and JAMES TALMADGE for Lieut. Governor,
And that we will unite our individual efforts, with the rest of our fellow citizens, in promoting their election.
"Resolved, That we approve of the nomination made in this county of "HENRY R. STORRS, "For Congress, and
"JOSEPH KIRKLAND, ISRAEL STODDARD, DAVID PIERSON, SAMUEL WOODWORTH AND BROUGHTON WHITE,
"For members of Assembly, and that we will also support them at the Polls.
"Resolved, That we recommend to the young men in the several towns in this county, to call similar meetings, to adopt measures to further the election of the above candidates. And that a corresponding committee of five be appointed from this meeting for the purpose of communicating with the several towns; and that Messrs. Z. Platt, A. C. Ellinwood, O. Whipple, J. E. Warner, and Wm. Bristol, compose that committee.
"Resolved, That a committee of ten in each ward in this town be chosen, as a committee of vigilance, to further the wishes of this meeting, with power to increase their number.
"Resolved, That this meeting adjourn to meet at the same place, on the Friday evening previous to the election, at 7 o'clock.
"WM. WALKER, Secretary." Chairman.
SAMUEL G. WALKER,
"TO THE REPUBLICAN YOUNG MEN OF ONEIDA.
"The time is near at hand when the Electors of this state are again to exer- cise the boasted right of choosing their rulers. It is an era always interesting to freemen; but it is peculiarly so at this period.
"A faction has grown up among us, which threatens the ultimate destruc- tion of our civil liberties. That faction is composed of unprincipled office holders and greedy office seekers, whose object is self aggrandizement; and who would sacrifice their very country rather than fail in the accomplishment of their ambitious and wicked purposes.
"The present contest is literally between Republicans and factionists- between the people and the people's enemies. The people claim the right of nominating their own rulers. The factionists deny to them that right. The people demand the right of choosing their own presidential electors. The fac- tionists answer, "The people are not to be trusted." In such a warfare, it is
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not only the privilege, but it is the duty of every good citizen to be up and doing. To be inactive is to be criminal.
"The constitution of these United States, that safeguard of our rights, was purchased at too high a price, to be surrendered now without a struggle. That constitution has been not only disregarded but insulted by our last state legis- lature. That legislature withheld from the people the choice of presidential electors; and in doing so, they violated their solemn pledges, and betrayed their constituents. A caucus of that same legislature have nominated a Gov- ernor and Lieut. Governor, who for their political sins and private vices, are obnoxious to the great mass of electors.
"The caucus candidates for Congress and assembly, in this county, have been brought forward to carry into effect the schemes of a favorite chieftain, who is driving a political traffic, at Washington, in the suffrages of freemen. Demagogues may tell you that they are friendly to the electoral law. But be on your guard ! they are wolves in sheep's clothing. The people's candidates are known to you all-they have been long tried-they are men of talents-they are honest and sober men-they are firm and ardent supporters of the people's rights-they are pledged to support and defend these rights, and will not violate their pledges.
"Young Men of Oneida! Much is expected of us at the ensuing election. We can, and we ought to do much. Our national prosperity, and our national glory-our civil institutions, which are deservedly our pride and our boast- in a word, all the blessings which we enjoy in this happy republic, were won for us by the labors, and sufferings, and blood of our fathers. Let it be the business of their sons to protect and preserve and perpetuate them."
This circular, together with many others in the possession of the writer which will be hereafter referred to, was found among the valuable papers of Stalham Williams, who lived to be 99 years and 6 months of age, and was for fifty years treasurer of the Utica Savings Bank.
The other party, not being backward in the issuing of circulars and in its assault upon its opponents, issued the following circular from Albany county. but it was distributed throughout the entire state
"GRATUITOUS SERVICES
"To the People of the State of New York.
"Fellow Citizens: Much has been said of the gratuitous services of DeWitt Clinton as a Canal Commissioner, especially since his removal from that station by James Talmadge, and others, who thought him undeserving of the place. When the claims of Mr. Clinton in this respect, are examined, they will be found as flimsy as his other pretensions to the favor of the people. A plain statement of undeniable facts, derived from authentic sources, will place this subject in a just light.
"De Witt Clinton was appointed a canal commissioner on the 13th of March, 1810. As nothing further was then contemplated than the procuring of surveys and other sources of information, no salary was attached to the office, BUT ALL
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THE EXPENSES OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR AGENTS, WERE FULLY PAID BY THE STATE, and large sums were from time to time appropriated for that purpose. From 1810 to 1816, very little was done by the Board. In 1816 a new board was organized, of which Mr. Clinton was appointed president,-(in which place he continued till April last)- and Twenty Thousand Dollars were appropriated to defray the expenses of the commissioners and their agents. In 1817 the legislature provided for the commencement of the canals, and provision was subsequently made, fixing the salaries of the acting canal commissioners, while the expenses of the others continued to be defrayed as before. Mr. Clinton never was an acting commissioner; and on this account, like Gouverneur Morris, Ste- phen VanRensselaer, and others of his colleagues, he received no salary, but his expenses while traveling, or otherwise engaged in the business, were fully paid by the state. As the monies appropriated for this purpose were generally paid to the whole board, and accounted for in gross, we have not been able, except in a few cases, to ascertain how much was paid to Mr. Clinton for his individual expenses. It appears by the accounts rendered to the state, that in a few in- stances he separately received compensation for his individual expenses, and on referring to them, the gross imposition of the clamor about Gratuitous Services will be clearly seen. Look at them, fellow-citizens, for yourselves.
"On the 23d of January, 1812, he received Three Hundred Dollars for his own expenses 'in going to, staying at, and returning from LANCASTER and Wash- ington.' This occupied him, according to his own account, thirty-five days, making a compensation of nearly Nine Dollars per day! which is only THREE TIMES as much as the pay of the members of the legislature! ! !
"In 1814 he received Two Hundred and Sixty-one Dollars for his expenses in 'going to, staying at, and returning from Albany.' This jaunt took, according to his own account, from the 27th of February to the 30th of March, 1814, being thirty-one days, and giving a compensation of only about Eight Dollars and Fifty Cents per day ! ! !
"In 1816 he received Two Hundred Dollars for his expenses in 'going to, staying at, and returning from Albany.' This jaunt took him from some time in the beginning of February, 1816, to about the 15th of March, say at the most, forty days, giving the trifling compensation of Five Dollars per day! ! !
"From these instances, all of which appear on the public records, some idea may be formed of the liberal allowances made by the state to Mr. Clinton for his services as a canal commissioner, and instead of rendering them GRATUITOUSLY, as has been pretended, it is plain that he has received from the people of New York, a liberal equivalent.
"But this is not all. While Mr. Clinton was a canal commissioner, he actu- ally received from the people of this state, the enormous sum of SEVENTY- SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS from the profits of OTHER OFFICES. The following calculation will show this.
"The first canal board was organized, as has been said, in March, 1810. In 1810, DeWitt Clinton received for his services as state senator, at least $400.
"In 1811 he was appointed Mayor of New York, an office which he had previously held for several years, and to which he was so much wedded, that although he held the office of state senator, the venerable Col. Marinus Willet
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was removed from the mayoralty to make way for him. This was then the best office in the state, and one of the best in the Union. It was estimated to be worth from FIFTEEN to TWENTY thousand dollars per annum! and so lucra- tive had it become, that in 1813, the legislature provided that the mayor should not be allowed more than $7,000 per annum, and that the remainder of the fees of office should be paid to the city. To keep within bounds we put down the office, previous to the fixing of the salary, at $15,000 per annum. By deserting the Republican party, and making terms with the federalists, he succeeded in holding this office until 1815, when he was removed by a republican council, upon the advice of Ambrose Spencer and others of his present supporters.
"From 1811 to 1813 is two years, at $15,000 per annum is. $30,000
"From 1813 to 1815 is 2 years, at $7,000 per annum 14,000
"In 1811 he was elected lieutenant-governor, which he held two years, and for which he received at least. 1,200
"From 1815 to 1817 he held no office but that of canal commissioner, and for all his expenses in that capacity was fully indemnified, as has been already stated.
"In 1817 he was elected Governor by the republican party, on his pro- fessions of repentance and promises of amendment, and he received for salary, from the 1st July, 1817, to the 1st April, 1820, 2 years and 9 months, at the rate of $7,000 per annum ... 19,250
"For salary as Governor from the 1st April, 1820, to the 1st of April 1821, one year, at $5,000 per annum 5,000
"For salary as Governor, from the 1st April, 1821 to the 1st of January, 1823, 1 year and 9 months, at $4,000 per annum. 7,000
MAKING THE ENORMOUS SUM OF $76,650 actually received by DeWitt Clinton, for public services, while he was a Canal Commissioner, besides being furnished, while governor, with a dwelling house, the rent and taxes of which were paid by the state! Well, then, might he afford to make an occasional visit to the line of the Canal, and to attend the sittings of the Board, especially when his expenses on all such occasions, were amply provided for by the state. Away, then, with the pretence of his GRATUITOUS SERVICES! He has not only been munificently remunerated for every moment he has devoted to the public business, but he has actually received MORE MONEY from the people of New York, for the emolument of office, than any other man in the state. He has literally fattened on the public bounty. He has not only held the most lucrative stations in the gift of the people, but, for a great portion of his life, so greedy has been his appetite for power and wealth, that he has insisted on having TWO OR THREE OFFICES AT A TIME. To prove these assertions still more clearly, let us carry our calculations a little farther back :
The above statement shows that since the 13th March, 1810, he has re- ceived, besides compensation for his expenses, etc., as canal commis- sioner, the sum of $76,650
Previous to that time he had received as follows, viz .: Before 1797, as private secretary of the governor, secretary of the University, and of the Board of Fortifications, at least 2,000
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In 1797, as member of the assembly, at least
300
From 1798 to 1802, as state senator, 4 years, at least. 1,400
In 1802, as United States' Senator, say 1,000
From October, 1803, to March, 1807, as mayor of New York, 3 years and 5 months, at $15,000 per annum 51,250
From 1805 to 1809, as state senator, 4 years, about. 1,600
From March, 1808 to March, 1810, as mayor of New York,, 2 years, at $15,000 per annum 30,000
In 1810, as state senator
400
MAKING THE IMMENSE SUM OF $164,000
164,600 DOLLARS! ! !
PAID TO DEWITT CLINTON OUT OF THE POCKETS OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE, for the Offices he has held, besides paying most liberally, all his expenses as Canal Commisioner, and besides furnishing him with a splendid dwelling house, for 5 years and 9 months, at a rent, for a part of the time, of $2,000 and the residue at $1,200 a year ! ! ! He is now about fifty years of age, and has actually received from the public, since he was one and twenty, an average of nearly Five Thousand Dollars a year; a sum equal to the whole estate, for which many an honest elector toils for a whole lifetime. And yet, this is the man whose GRATUITOUS SERVICES are gravely put forth before the people, as entitling him to the first station in their gift! ! ! And this, too, is the man, who, two years ago, affected to decline a reelection as governor, on the republican principle of ROTATION IN OFFICE! ! ! The history of his life shows that, in his opinion, ROTATION IN OFFICE, means De Witt Clinton all the while, or at least every other time.
"People of the State of New York! The facts we have stated are undeniable. We challenge our opponents to contradict them if they dare, to disprove them if they can. We have thought it our duty to lay them before you, in order to counteract the misrepresentations of those restless and aspiring demagogues who are now striving to prostrate the democratic party. Their object is not to promote your interests, or to extend your rights; it is to secure their own aggrandizement. You found them faithless to you during the war; they opposed the calling of a convention; they resisted the extension of the elective franchise ; they were hostile to the new constitution. Their pretenses to republicanism are hypocritical; their pretended 'love of the people' is mere sound; their moving principle, 'UNCHASTENED AMBITION'; their sole aim, the attainment of POWER. All this you know, and knowing this, we trust you will give them, at the polls, the reception they deserve. Albany, October 15, 1824.
"By order of the General Republican Committee of the City of Albany. PHILIP PHELPS,
Secretary."
ESTES HOWE, Chairman.
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In answer to this the Clinton party issued the following circular :
"BEWARE OF FRAUD!
"THE ALBANY REGENCY and their coadjutors are making their last desperate effort to prop their tottering cause. They have this day dispatched into every part of the county, loads of hand bills, fraught with the basest falsehoods and calumnies, and we already hear they chuckle in their sleeves at the anticipated success of their frauds, in imposing upon the PEOPLE: YES, ELECTORS OF ONEIDA, A PEOPLE who are impudently told by these desperadoes "have not wisdom and virtue enough to appoint their electors of president or nominate their state. officers.
"FREEMEN OF ONEIDA! One bold effort on your part will forever hereafter save you from the insults of this proud Junto, and crush to atoms their fallen hopes. ON MONDAY NEXT THE POLLS OF ELECTION WILL OPEN; rally to a man, and by your united suffrages, quiet once more the tumults which have too long distracted and degraded this great State.
"Who is so blind as not to see, that the dearest rights of the People have been basely assailed? Who so deaf, that he does not hear the cries of the People for a redress of their grievances? Who so regardless of the cause of freemen that he will not make one effort to annihilate a corrupt combination of fac- tionists, whose motto is SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT! and who profane the hours allotted to repose, by their unhallowed machinations and secret plans, to foist themselves into power over the ruins of all that is pure in our excellent republi- can institutions, and who, the more effectually to deceive the unsuspicious, have assumed our name and impudently pretend to profess our sentiments? Let the ballot boxes solemnly pronounce the answer, NONE! ! ! Utica, October 24, 1824."
A very interesting incident occurred in this campaign at Hampton in the town of Westmoreland. It is somewhat difficult to understand the preliminaries to the meeting that was held there, but it would appear that a meeting had been called at Hallock's in that village for the 23d day of October by the opponents of the Clinton party, or that Mr. Dauby, then the political boss of the Van Buren party, had engaged the hall in which the meeting was to be held, and that the meeting had been called by the regular Republican party, which was in reality the Clinton party, and that Mr. Dauby engaged the hall to prevent the meeting being held. However that may be, the Clinton supporters assembled in great numbers at the hall and took possession, which provoked a bitter contest, and the sheriff was called from Utica to bring peace out of the discord. The Utica Observer, which contained one side of the controversy, cannot be found, as the entire files were burned, but a circular was issued by the Clinton party in explanation of this meeting. It will be borne in mind that the intense feeling which existed between the parties at this time arose over the Election Law, that is, the Clinton party advocating the election of presidential electors by the people, and the other party, which had opposed it, preventing the law being passed in the legislature, made pretence to be for it or against it, as the cir- cumstances required. The circular issued by the Clinton party in explanation of the Hampton meeting is as follows :
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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
"FALSEHOOD EXPOSED!
"Under the editorial head, in the last 'Observer,' an account is given of the meeting of Republican young men held at Hampton on the 23d inst. That account is a tissue of falsehood, from beginning to end; and was designed for electioneering effect in the remote parts of the county. But we do not charge Mr. Dauby as the author of these falsehoods; for although he is the ostensible editor, he has not the control of his own press; and while we pity the man whose circumstances or feelings have induced him to assume a responsibility where he has no power, we cannot but denounce the malicious slanderers, who, protected by this disguise, ply their trade of calumny. But according to Noah's code of ethics, "all is fair in politics." And everybody knows that a coward can print what he dare not utter.
"The facts in relation to that meeting are as follows :- A notice was pub- lished in the 'Columbian Gazette' of a meeting at Hallock's, in Hampton, on the 23d inst. of the 'Republican Young Men of Oneida, friendly to the Electoral Law.' We supposed this invitation meant what it purported; we considered it as addressed to ourselves, and we attended accordingly.
"On arriving at Hallock's, we told the bar-keeper, (the landlord being absent) that we had come to attend the meeting as advertised, and requested him to conduct us into the room designed for that purpose. He did so, and did not pretend that the room was otherwise engaged. The meeting then assem- bled in Hallock's large room to the number of 187. There were 36 from Utica and the remaining 152 were from the various towns in the county.
"The friends of the Electoral Law, thus assembled, and just proceeding upon the business of the meeting, were interrupted by the intrusion of 15 or 20 individuals, who, in a noisy and indecent manner, declared that the room was engaged to Mr. Dauby; and that the meeting must leave it. Mr. Hallock (the landlord) disgracefully lent himself to their views, and falsely stated that he had so engaged the room, and that it should not be used for a public meeting.
At this moment two young men of their party, who had been sent to advise with Judge Enos, rushed into the room, and declared that unless the meeting surrendered immediate possession to Mr. Dauby, they would procure a warrant from a Judge, and we should be put out by force of law. They had, in the meantime, sent an express to Utica, for the Sheriff, who soon after arrived, with his trusty friend, Colonel Honicle, to carry this judicial threat into execution.
"We expostulated, and we reasoned with them; we told them we had come as Republicans, to express out sentiments upon the Electoral Law; and invited them to unite with us. They answered us with insults, and with threats of vio- lence. We then proposed having separate meetings, and appointing Committees of Conference; and if it should be found that we accorded in sentiment upon the Electoral Law, that we should then unite our meetings; they would not listen to this fair offer, but persisted in their billingsgate abuse and threats of out- rage.
"Despairing of effecting a compromise, we organized our meeting, and peace- ably adjourned to the house of Mr. S. Ray, and there accomplished the business for which we had assembled.
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"This is a simple and true statement of the facts. If we had gone to Hamp- ton (as the 'Observer' declares) for riotous purposes, we surely would not have yielded the possession of the room. We were six to one their superiors in num- bers; and our very forbearance towards them proves the justness of our cause, and the honesty of our intent.
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