The Columbian fountain., 1846-02-10
]. COUGH.

and depraved sheets In the Union-seem TO
have united their forces for the purpose Of
running the character Of John b. Cough. So
with their hopes--for Mr. Cough has sue
cessfully net and refuted their most serious
charges against him. We wonder that any
friend of temperance could give moments
credence to the assaults of these miserable
prints, whose highest ambition evidently is
to pander to the most depraved appetites,
and by utter disregard of all the decencies
oflfe, commendthemselves to the patronage
ofmen equally reckless ofmoral obligation.
But for the mystery which attended Mr..
Coughs disappearance last September, and
the condition in which he was finally dis
covered, il never could have been necessary
for him to notice the ISLANDERS ofsuch prints
but under the circumstances, he has pro-
baby acted most judcousIy, in meeting
their charges, and showing, by unexceuion-
able testimony, how false, absurd and MALI
cious they are. In ouropinion, he has done
this triumphantly, and turned the tables COM
pletely upon his slanderers. Of course, they
will continue their attacks as before-but
we submit to the candid public, that Mr.
Cough, having clearly convicted his libel
lers OF falsehood and malice, ought not to
be required to follow up all their petty as.
saults by specific denials, or to take any
further notice Of them, except to bring them
before Jury Of twelve impartial men, for
their assaults upon his character.
One thing more. So far, Mr. Cough has
succeeded in vindicating his character from
the aspersions OF his enemies. He has clear
ly convicted his assailants, out Of their own
mouths, too, Of falsehood and duplicity. So
far, he stands before the world as an injured
and prosecuted man. He may be guilty, but
no credible testimony has yet been produced
to prove that he is is so. Ought he not, then
to. be considered innocent, and to be treated
as an innocent person? So we think-and
we hope that the friends Of temperance will
rally around him, and give him their SYM
pathy, and strengthen him by their conf
dence. He has been lecturing with great
success in Boston and vicinity-we hope
that he may be invited to other fields, and
have as many applications to lecture in be-
half of the cause to which he is devoted, az
his strength will permit him to accept. Of
course, the rum-party will attempt to de-
stroy him-let the friends of temperance,
satisfying themselves Of his worthiness, be
as Jealous to sustain him, and all will be
well. ae 5
h 9rThe foregoing we clip from the Char
ter Oak, as expressive of our own views
and feelings respecting Mr.. Cough. But
though Mr.. G. has escaped from those who
attempted bis ruin--escaped like bird
from the snare of the fowler-we perceive
by the Police Gazette of this very date, that
still another effort is making to hush his
earnest and manly pleadings in behalf of
temperance, by an individual named Ben
jamin f. Goodhue, from our sister city,
New-London-an individual least Of all
the proper one to publicly condemn the ir-
regularities OF j. B. Cough, or indeed of
any other person living or dead. We do
not care to speak i'll of Mr.. Goodhue, but
sense of duty compels to say, to the end
that no person shall be led to look with
distrust upon Mr.. Coughs statement on ac-
count Of any thing he may say, that here in
Norwich, in New-London, and this part Of
Connecticut where he is well known, the
confidence of the people in Cough is not
whit lessened by Goodhue's flaming erpo-
sure. However guilty Mr.. Cough may be,
of one thing we are sure-Mr. Goodhue is
not the man TO condemn him. If one-half
the pains had been taken to expose has ras-.
cality that has been taken to ruin Mr..
Cough, long before this, and perhaps long
before IL had taken place, his name would
have been a stencil in the nostrils Of the
entire community
In his crusade against Cough, Mr.. Good
hue has found m eet associates in the editors
Of the Police Gazette-one of whom is
state-prison bird, and the other 1--WE have
both facts from gentlemen who know the
two individually most notorious drunk
ard.
1t pains US to thus speak of any person,
particularly Of one who has been fellow
laborer in the glorious temperance cause;
but we cannot in Justice to an injured per-
son keep silent. We do believe Mr.. Cough
to be an injured man; but if he remain
true to himself and the cause, though wick
ed men and even satan himself may desire
to sift him as wheat, all the powers of he'll
shall not prevail against him. Let him
pursue the even tenor Of his way, doing
good as he has opportunity, and trusting in
~ Al