The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-12-21
MLLSCELLAN1..
FOR THE nHoDx-lsLAsD REPUBLICAN,.

NIX. EDITOR,
HAVING been urged to lay before the
publick, through the medium of your paper,
the RcRecHons Of JERRr McGoosKIN, Esq.
r. r.. S. on he unfortunate epenfs Of eighieea
haWdred ten," | herewith transmit you the
frat poeiical efuson of that truly eccentrick
genius, with explanatory annotations.
AS he has excited the curiosity OF the peo-
pie a, large by his singular extravagances
tor two or three years past, both in hu5Gck
orois and frfvafe quarrels, II may not be i'm
proper to offer few remarks on his condnct
and character. 1t would be needless tor me
to endeavour to confute the insinuations which
are daily thrown out respecting his insanity
nor can ! consistently deny that he is subject
to visitatioss OF the hypo-cogniae. Suffice it
to say, that Jerry AcGooskin was formerly
very pcaceable good sort Of "a man, and never
meddled with poiiticks, except on some mo-
menfous occasion; such 4th of July cele-
brations, or elections for members of Con-
gress, selectmen and hog cons.abes Aliho'
at such times, he never failed 10 electionecr
Tor his fayeurile candidate, he was notwiih-
standing, always considered a firm republican,
until alter a violent shock of the embargo fe-
per rendered him completely insane, some
time in 1903. The disordcred state of Jerry's
inIciiects, soon induced his friends to conicc-
tule that he bad turned .fcderaiiSt OF which
they were soon after convinced, by the siren
uous manner in which he advocated cer,ain
resolutions, disapproving the embargo and
every other measure adopt I'd by government
Tor the safety OF our country. He now at
tended federal caucuses, voted in favour of
federal resolutions, and shontcd for hours to-
gether IN federal town-meetings. This course
OF conduct soon brought Terry into notice
and the frequency of his horsc-shcd couler,
ences, increased hts popularity so much a.
mong the tory party, tn~s they appointed lin,
Jnsfce 0f the fe0ce, and condescended 20 ad-
init him into their most secret coDcayes,
Here Terry picked up considerable intorma-
tion But having neper learned TO zprite. WIS
obliged to load his memory with such Of their
schemes as he deemed worthy of notice, and
alter returning home employ his son Jcdediah
(wi'o us aoout my age) to commi, then, TO pa
per, as he dictated.
Disappointed in his most sanguine expec,
tations--crossed and perplexcd in dil hi. cx-
ertions tc support the declining cau.e sG ,c,,-
ism, Terry at length became melancholy 70 a
degree bordering on madness. II j. only x
these gloomy periods, when his ho;cn, is ie,s
by discordant passions, that he now tsipos TO-
employ his faithful JedcdiQA 10 arrange ais
4" meIanchofy r.fec'ions" in hoenck order.
Jedediah having been great cr.og OF vim.
while we were school boys together, and
little difficulty in getting peep at the old
mans extraordinary productions which I
took care 20 transcribe and preserve, thinking
they might be OF use to me at some future
period
The year 1910, which seems most TO have
occupied Jerry's attention, having now nearly
expired, friendship induces me to give
publicity to his reflections, together with ex-
plana,ory Understanding the publick to draw
what conclusions they please, of the pro-
priey or impropriety Of the insinua,ions
which have operated SO much against him.
shall not consider myself amenabe, either
to the critieising robbie or his Political ohto-
nents, for any incorrec,ness in Jerry's COM
position-hsving copied it ver5aiim from the
original manuscript, now In Jedediah's pos
session.
4 MEMBBR OF THE QUIzzIcAL SOCIETY.
Mount- Rohe, Dec. 3th, 1870
lFor Jerry's =" re elections" see last rage.l
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