USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855 > Part 40
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Soon after the decision, Anthony Snyder (John's son) removed to the Genessee country, (New York.) He became a pettifogger, and met with great success in his vocation. Union county was erected in 1813, and the cause removed thither. Anthony Snyder and Daniel Rhoads came to Pennsylvania, as the representatives of the plaintiffs, to attend to the trial. There being much delay in coming to trial, on account of the difficulty of collecting the wit- nesses, who were numerous and much scattered, and on account of the indolence and dilatory temper of Judge Chapman, Anthony and Daniel traversed the county, visiting the taverns and all kinds of gatherings, and holding forth in piteous style on the subject of the frauds, whereby the defendant had cheated his orphan nephews and neices out of their inheritance. A general prejudice was thus ex .. cited, and an impartial trial became impossible. Had the judge been a man of courage and firmness, in whose legal qualifications the bar and the public had confidence, he might have secured a righteous verdict. But the clamor terrified him. He continued the cause from term to term, and from year to year, on almost any pretext ; his fears and indolence making him unwilling to face the. long and wearisome case.
The second trial came off, I think, in 1816. The judge saw clearly where justice was, but, weak and timid, he shuffled in his decisions and in his charge, and there was a verdict for the plaintiffs. The partnership they endeavored to prove by general repute. Their only witnesses were illiterate, and sometimes dishonest, laborers, who had, more than twenty years before, worked for Selin and my father ; while Kremer, Evans, Simon Snyder, junior, well acquainted with the parties, testified to the real extent of the partnership.
The amount of perjury on the plaintiff's side was surprisingly great. The main witness to the allegation that Selin's threats had frightened off bidders was a man named Bower, from Dauphin county, who
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swore that but for Selin's threats he would have given £400 or £500 more. The defendant proved that Bower said on his way home that the land went too high, and no sane man would give so much for it.
The oldest land-holders of the vicinity, Boyd, DeGruchy, Leisen- ring, Taggert, Dentler, and others, unanimously testified the land sold above its value, it being island land.
The defendant's counsel, apprehending the result from the violence of the prejudice, presented numerous points, and upon a writ of er- ror, the judgment was reversed. Soon after this my father died, and Anthony Selin, the younger, and James K. Davis, were substituted as defendants. An attempt was made to put the costs, thus far ac- crued, upon Simon Snyder's estate ; but the court decided that Selin's heirs had all the time been the real defendants, and that Simon Sny- der had only been nominally defendant.
The cause was tried again in 1823 ; Lashells and Hepburn for plaintiffs ; Bellas and Greenough for defendants. The clamors of the plaintiffs and the weakness of the judge made it more than ever a hopeless task for the defendants. A verdict was again had against them, followed by a reversal by the Supreme Court. Another ver- dict must have been, under our judicial system, final, provided it should be for the plaintiffs, and this was almost certain to be the case. The defendants resolved to refer the case to arbitrators. I was pro- thonotary, and, on account of my consanguinity to defendants, liable to be objected to. Mr. Maclay, the register, acted in my place. He was an upright man, and performed his duty faithfully. The number of referees was five. Joseph Rathfon was the only one that was not objected to of the five nominated by each party. Mr. Maclay made then a list of twenty names, and each party struck eight names. The board thus formed, Dan Caldwell, Michael Rathfon, Valentine Haas, John Reifsnyder, and Joseph Spotts, gave an award for the de- fendants. Plaintiffs then resolved to appeal, and Doctor Atlee, of Philadelphia, came with Mr. Lashells, the leading counsel on his side, to enter the appeal. I was desired to take the necessary affi- davit and bond, and lay them aside for the present, until the costs, which were necessary to be paid. should be forwarded, and then I was to file the affidavit and enter the appeal. The taxation of costs was difficult and tedious. Many of the subpoenas had been lost, and as no account had been kept of time, the defendants had to make
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their bill very low to avoid exceptions. The amount, however, after all allowances, was upwards of $1,500. The twenty days elapsed, and no costs were paid ; the defendants demanded judgment, which I entered with good-will. So ended the Isle of Que case.
The reason why the costs were not forthcoming, we learned after- wards. When Doctor Atlee got back to Philadelphia, he took coun- sel of David Paul Brown, his attorney, who advised him not to pay over the costs, as the mere taking of the affidavit and bond for future costs constituted an appeal-that I would be liable to the de- fendants for costs. When Mr. Lashells wrote to inquire why the costs were not forthcoming, and was informed of Mr. Brown's advice, he refused to be a party to any such unfair dealing, and added that he felt sure the court would not allow an appeal to be entered ; that it was ungenerous to throw Mr. Snyder into the costs for an act of kindness to Doctor Atlee, to save him a journey from Philadelphia, by taking the affidavit and bond while he was at New Berlin.
The plaintiffs then brought a suit in the United States court, at Philadelphia, for that part which lay west of Penn's creek, and on which Selinsgrove was built. The first attempts to bring on the suit to trial failed, for the absence of witnesses, who were too old and in- firm to go so far. A rule to take depositions was then entered. Here David Paul once more proved their evil genius. The rule of court required the depositions to be forwarded under the seal of the justice or commissioner, to the clerk of the court, to be by him opened. The justice did his part correctly, but the bearer, who was a friend of the plaintiffs, handed them first to Mr. Brown, who igno- rantly, or regardless of the rule, broke them open and perused them. He then took them to the clerk, but the latter refused either to re- ceive or file them. A few days afterward the case was called up, the depositions were rejected by the court, and the plaintiffs suffered a non-suit.
December 25, Samuel Johnston, aged twelve, tried for setting fire to his uncle Jacob Johnston's barn, in West Buffalo. He was con- victed, but obtaining a new trial, was acquitted at May sessions, 1825. Mumma, district attorney, and C. A. Bradford for Com- monwealth ; Horning, Van Horne, Packer, and W. Cox Ellis for defendant.
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Deaths.
April 9, William Wilson, of Kelly township, aged eighty-two. He came into the Valley in 1772, and his eldest daughter, Martha, was born in 1774. His children were : Thomas, born August 18, 1776, died May 23, 1831 ; James, born August 3, 1778, died December 26, 1831 ; Mary, born April 14, 1783, married William Hayes, died December 10, 1827; William, junior, many years a merchant at Lewisburg, born August 10. 1787, died June 12, 1783; Samuel, died January 16, 1843 ; Effie, married to William Murray, died January 23, 1853 ; Eliza, who married Peter Nevius, alone survives.
David Soult, born March 18, 1752, enlisted in Northampton county, in Captain Marien Lamar's company, and served in Canada in 1776, and afterwards enlisted in the second Pennsylvania. His captain, who was major of the second, was killed at Paoli. Soult was in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and at the storming of the block-house. He left five children : John, Jacob, Philip. George, and Michael.
October 4, at New Berlin, Adam Specht, shoe-maker ; enlisted as a private, (in Colonel Nicholas Haussegger's German regiment, ) at Shafferstown, May, 1776; discharged at Northumberland by Lieu- tenant Colonel Lewis Wiltner, in 1779.
Marriages.
22d July, Nathan Jordan, merchant, to Miss Hannah Smith, both of White Deer. 24th August, by Reverend Heim. Conrad Pontius, of Ohio, to Miss Mary Seebold, of New Berlin. 26th, by Reverend Thomas Hood, Captain James Magee to Miss Elizabeth Strayhorn, of West Buffalo. 14th October. William Linn, of Kelly, to Miss Jane Morrow, of Franklin county. 14th October. by Reverend Jacob W. Smith, Martin Dreisbach, junior, to Miss Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Solomon Kleckner. 31st October, by Reverend Martin Dreis- bach, Isaac Peters to Miss Susan Miller, of New Berlin. December 16, William C. Stedman to Elizabeth, daughter of Hugh Wilson.
1825.
GEORGE KREMER'S ARTICLE IN THE " COLUMBIAN OBSERVER," AND HENRY CLAY'S CARD-RECEPTION OF MR. KREMER AT LEWISBURG --- WEATHER RECORD-PECULIARITIES OF THE BAR-THE SHOWMAN AT NEW BERLIN -WITCHCRAFT FARCE IN BEAVER TOWNSHIP.
[From the Columbian Observer.]
WASHINGTON, January 25, 1825.
EAR SIR : I take up my pen to inform you of one of the most disgraceful transactions that ever covered with infamy the Republican ranks. Would you believe that men professing Democracy could be found base enough to lay the axe at the very root of the tree of Liberty ? Yet, strange as it is, it is not less true. To give you a full history of the trans- action would far exceed the limits of a letter. I shall, therefore, at once proceed to give you a brief account of such a bargain as can only be equalled by the Famous Burr Conspiracy of 1801. For some time past, the friends of Clay have hinted that they, like the Swiss, would fight for those who would pay best. Overtures were said to have been made by the friends of Adams to the friends of Clay, offering him the appointment of Secretary of State for his aid to elect Adams. And the friends of Clay gave this information to the friends of Jackson, and hinted that if the friends of Jackson would offer the same price, they would close with them. But none of the friends of Jackson would descend to such mean barter and sale. It was not believed by any of the friends of Jackson that this contract would be ratified by the members from the States who had voted for Mr. Clay.
I was of opinion, when I first heard of this transaction, that men, professing any honorable principles, could not, nor would not, be
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transferred like the planter does his negroes, or the farmer his team and horses. No alarm was excited-we believed the Republic was safe. The nation, having delivered Jackson into the hands of Con- gress, backed by a large majority of their votes, there was on my mind no doubt that Congress would respond to the will of the nation, by electing the individual they had declared to be their choice. Con- trary to this expectation, it is now ascertained to a certainty that Henry Clay has transferred his interest to John Quincy Adams. As a consideration for this abandonment of duty to his constituents, it is said and believed, should this unholy coalition prevail, Clay is to be appointed Secretary of State. I have no fears on my mind-I am clearly of opinion we shall defeat every combination. The force of public opinion must prevail, or there is an end of liberty.
·
[From the National Intelligencer.]
A CARD .- I have seen, without any other emotion than that of ineffable contempt, the abuse which has been poured upon me by a scurrilous paper, issued in this city, and by other kindred prints and persons, in regard to the presidential election. The editor of one of those prints, ushered forth in Philadelphia, called the Columbian Observer, for which I do not subscribe, and which I have not or- dered, has had the impudence to transmit to me his vile paper of the 28th instant. In that number is inserted a letter, purporting to have been written from this city, on the 25th instant, by a member of the House of Representatives, belonging to the Pennsylvania delegation. I believe it to be a forgery ; but, if it be genuine, I pronounce the member, whoever he may be, a base and infamous calumniator, A DASTARD, and A LIAR, and if he dare unveil himself and avow his name, I will hold him RESPONSIBLE, as I here admit myself to be, to all THE LAWS which govern and regulate the conduct of MEN OF HONOR.
H. CLAY.
31st January, 1825.
ANOTHER CARD .- George Kremer, of the House of Representa- tives, tenders his respects to the Honorable " H. Clay," and informs him that, by reference to the editor of the Columbian Observer, he may ascertain the name of the writer of a letter of the 25th ultimo, which it seems has afforded so much concern to " H. Clay." In the meantime, George Kremer holds himself responsible to prove, to the
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satisfaction of unprejudiced minds, enough to satisfy them of the ac- curacy of the statements which are contained in that letter, to the extent that they concern the course and conduct of "H. Clay." Being a representative of the people, he will not fear to " cry aloud and spare not," when their rights and privileges are at stake.
On the return of Mr. Kremer, the citizens of Lewisburg assembled at the house of Thomas R. Lewis. Alexander Graham was chosen chairman, and John Sargeant, secretary. The object of the meeting being stated from the chair, the following resolutions were unani- mousły adopted, viz :
Resolved, That James Geddes, Doctor Thomas Vanvalzah, Daniel C. Ambler, Jacob Bogar, and Doctor William Joyce, be a commit- tee of arrangement to carry the object of the meeting into effect, and that they draft an address to the Honorable George Kremer, inviting him to a public dinner, at the house of T. R. Lewis, on Saturday, the 26th instant.
Resolved, That a general invitation be given to the friends of the Honorable George Kremer.
Committee's Invitation.
DEAR SIR: We, the undersigned, appointed a committee of arrangement, present our compliments to you, and respectfully re- quest the honor of your company, at the house of Thomas R. Lewis, on Saturday, the 26th instant, to partake of a public dinner, with your fellow-citizens of the borough of Lewisburg and its vicinity, to be given as a manifestation of their respect and gratitude for your firm, dignified, and patriotic conduct, as a member of the House of Representatives of the United States ; but more especially for your unremitted and vigorous efforts to stem the torrent of corruption, which threatened to inundate the national Legislature.
With sentiments of esteem, we remain yours, dear sir, very re- spectfully,
WILLIAM JOYCE, JAMES GEDDES, T. VANVALZAH, D. C. AMBLER, JACOB BOGAR.
The Honorable GEORGE KREMER.
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To which Mr. Kremer returned the following answer :
LEWISBURG, March 23, 1825.
GENTLEMEN : Your friendly invitation to me, to partake of a public dinner at the house of T. R. Lewis, on the 26th instant, has just been received. This new testimonial of regard and kindness towards me is a sure pledge that the representative who discharges his duty with good faith, will always be supported and sustained by a virtuous and patriotic people. I need not say to you, that how- ever averse I should feel on ordinary occasions, on the present I shall waive all objections, and do myself the pleasure to dine with my fellow-citizens. Accept the assurance of my sincere respect and regard.
GEORGE KREMER.
Messrs. JAMES GEDDES, Doctor THOMAS VANVALZAH, D. C. AMBLER, Doctor WILLIAM JOYCE, JACOB BOGAR.
On Saturday, the 26th, pursuant to previous arrangement, the long room of Mr. Lewis was crowded to overflowing. Colonel James Dale was called to the chair, and John Sargent appointed Secretary.
The company sat down to a splendid entertainment provided for the occasion. After the cloth was removed, the following toasts were drunk with much hilarity and good glee. * *
9. Honorable George Kremer, our worthy guest, the intrepid and watchful guardian of the people's rights-When corruption reared its hydra head, he "cried aloud, and spared not." [Here Mr. Kremer rose, and delivered a short and very appropriate ad- dress. ]
Volunteers.
By Jonathan Smith: The intrepid Kremer-Like David of old, he slew the modern Goliah, the giant of intrigue, made of Clay, daubed with corruption.
William Kelly : The apostate BRECK-a member of Congress, belonging to the Pennsylvania delegation ; he was surely a bastard, not a legitimate son of Pennsylvania.
John Sargent : Our worthy fellow-citizen and guest, George
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Kremer-His patriotism and manly firmness, in exposing the corrupt intrigues of a political gambler, claim our best plaudits and gratitude.
Henry Beck : Greece-The ancient seat of the muses, of science and philosophy ; she was great ; she will be great again.
Alexander Morton : The government of the Union, like a pure stream, may it have no foul Clay to pollute it.
John Machemer : The hero of New Orleans-the firm patriot and statesman ; the second savior of his country ; the protector of beauty and booty ; if he is one of the "MILITARY CHIEFTANS," may the genius of liberty send us a great many of them.
Doctor Samuel Strohecker : The press-the grand engine of lib- erty and civilization ; destined to illuminate, emancipate, and exalt the world.
John Musser : The editors of the National Intelligencer, who de- clined publishing the patriotic letter of Mr. Kremer, addressed to his constituents-Fit tools, indeed, to execute the purposes of the Holy Alliance.
Daniel Beyers : May Pennsylvania and our sister States be forever blessed with such bright members as our worthy fellow-citizen. George Kremer, who will unshield all intrigues, without respect to persons, and that, too, at the risk of his popularity.
Alexander Graham : The people of Pennsylvania, and our worthy countryman, George Kremer, Esquire.
John Reber : The press-On its freedom depends the happiness, liberty, and independence of the world.
Jacob Reedy : General Jackson-As a soldier, statesman, and patriot, unequaled ; may he be our next President.
John Hummel : The Government of the United States has been seized by a Quincy, produced by the putrid exhalations of a tobacco pipe, made of Clay, drenched in corruption-It will prove fatal in less than four years.
George Schnabel: Our next Governor-A man of stern integrity and undeviating republican principles.
Andrew Reedy : Thank Providence the freemen of the United States made choice of a hero and statesman, in preference to a po- litical gambler.
John Brown : The corruptionists in Congress-may they meet
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with the same fate hereafter, as did Henry Clay in his late attempt to disgrace the Pennsylvania farmer.
Clement Beckwith : Henry Clay and John Q. Adams-From every consideration, there is nothing good they have said or can do ; may they sink in their corruption, and the friends of freedom stand up in their SHOES.
Thomas R. Lewis : Henry Clay, who smuggled J. Q. Adams into the presidential chair, as the serpent did original sin into Paradise -May the flaming sword of the people thrust them both out in the year 1829.
Jacob Musser : Adam, the first man, was made of clay -- Adams was made President by Clay and corruption.
George Kremer was the nephew of Governor Snyder, and came to reside with him when a mere lad. He was very ill formed, but not the least ashamed of his ugliness, and rather inclined to feel proud of his distinction in this respect. He grew up to be stout, and soon became able to fight his own battles, in an age and a dis- trict where broils were of daily occurrence. This region, then called by the general name of Shamokin, was in those days the fron- tier, and looked upon by the dwellers on the sea-board, as we look upon Iowa and Kansas at the present time. It served as a place of refuge for all runaway and desperate characters from the south east- ern counties. The sheriff and constable seldom ventured into the wilds on this side of the river, which acquired the significant title of Rascal's creek.
George was remarkable for shrewdness, no less than for courage and bodily strength, and he became, in a short time, a person of great influence among the hardy inhabitants of the new country. In addition to his other good qualities, he was strictly honest, and his word was his bond. Whatever he did, he did it with all his might. With such qualifications and endowments, it is no matter of wonder that he became a leading man so soon as he embarked in politics. After serving several terms as a member of our State Legislature, he was elected to Congress, and here acquired the distinction which he enjoyed.
In 1825, it having been ascertained that neither of the candidates for the Presidency had received the constitutional majority of votes, the matter was referred to Congress. Mr. Adams, General Jackson,
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Mr. Clay, and Mr. Crawford were the candidates, and as the choice of Congress lay between the two first, there was, of course, consid- erable intriguing on the part of the two latter and their friends. The friends of Jackson, finding that Mr. Clay and his friends were decidedly hostile to their candidate, and, indeed, made no secret of their aversion to him, resolved, after in vain trying the arts of per- suasion, to resort to intimidation. They caused a letter to be writ- ten and published in the Columbian Observer, of Philadelphia, which stated that a corrupt bargain had been made between Messrs. Adams and Clay, in pursuance of which, the latter was to transfer his vote, and the vote of his friends to Mr. Adams, who was to make him Secretary of State, as his reward.
On the day after the appearance of the letter, Mr. Clay, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, moved that a committee be appointed to inquire into the truth of this charge. Mr. Kremer seconded the motion, stating that he was ready with the proofs, and willing to meet the inquiry. The motion was opposed by Mr. Mc- Duffie and some others, friends to Jackson, on the ground that there was not sufficient reason to consume the time of the House in inves- tigating a frivolous newspaper charge-a charge which no one ac- quainted with the parties concerned would believe. Mr. Clay had even insisted on his right to clear his character from the stain thus publicly attempted to be fixed on it, and Mr. Kremer eagerly sec- onded hin, exulting in the anticipated certain confounding of the Clay and Adams party.
Not one, however, of those who had put him upon writing the letter, supported him, or manifested any anxiety for the proposed inquiry. The committee was appointed. On the evening of the same day, Kremer discovered that his friends could furnish him with no evidence to support his charge, and that he must get out of the scrape as well as he could. On the succeeding day, the committee notified him they were ready to proceed. In answer to which, he wrote a long letter to the chairman, declining to appear, alleging that as he had made no formal charges, the committee could have no jurisdiction-that his charge was made for the public, &c. This special pleading was so nearly identified with the argument of Mr. McDuffie on the preceding day, in the motion for inquiry, as to lead some to suspect that he, (Mr. McDuffie,) was its author ; but the
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character of Mr. McDuffie forbids us to harbor any such suspicion. It was probably the production of Mr. Ingham, who, as afterwards appeared, was Kremer's chief prompter in this business. It was natural for him to adopt Mr. McDuffie's arguments, being the best and, indeed, only mode of getting clear of the difficulty.
One might have supposed that this disgraceful retreat would have convinced the whole public of the falsehood of Kremer's charge, but political faith covers mountains, and the charge was eagerly entertained and reiterated by the partisans of Jackson. Kremer himself. as appears from the testimony of Mr. Crowninshield, doubted, at the last, and had a letter of apology ready for Mr. Clay, which Mr. Ingham found means to suppress.
Such was the eagerness with which the Pennsylvanians received the corruption story, and such the cloud of incense with which Kre- mer was fumigated, that it is no wonder that his brain was affected, and he really believed himself the savior of his country's liberty. His vanity became excessive, and as Cicero of old continually rung the charges in his later orations, on the names of Lentulus and Cataline, so Kremer made corruption, and his famous letter, the eternal burden of his song.
Finding that the corruption story was unsparingly used against him by the Jacksonians, notwithstanding the way in which they had backed out of the charge, and that even General Jackson had con- descended to lend the authority of his name to this shameless cal- umny, Mr. Clay took the trouble to collect the letters, certificates, and affidavits of almost every one who could have any knowledge of the matter in agitation, and published them in a pamphlet. These testimonials, coming from upwards of fifty persons of all parties, formed a most triumphant refutation of the corruption story. But it was all in vain for Messrs. Adams and Clay. The popular mind had been roused to phrensy, and was utterly inaccessible to all reason. Jackson was elected, in 1828, by a decided majority, and Kremer, having answered the purpose of his party, was for- gotten at once. Too honest to take a part in the intrigues of his fellow-partisans at Washington, he could not make himself of any further use to them, and was pushed aside to make room for those who knew how to make the best use, for selfish purposes, of his ser- vices. For some years after he was left out of Congress, he con-
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