The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-03-04

"Reminiscences Of i,i..insuish frin,Ar..


"Reminiscences Of distinguished frin,Ar..
The following interesting letter from one Of
the principal men of the State of New York,
was read at recent Printers Festival ut Bng-
hamton in that State -
BINGHANrpN, l4th JAN. 1854.
MEssRs. M. ". GoLBr AND OTHERS, COMMITTEE,
&c.
GENTLEMEN II am happy to be remembered
as one Of the Printers and friends Of the Press
OF Southern New York." to whom your kind
invitation for the Franklin Festival is extended.
Circumstances will prevent my attendance. but
it ought perhaps to lessen my regret, that
may thereby escape the envy Of same one OF the
fraternity, who is fa::ering himself with the
honor OF being the oldest printer
among you; but who, were present, might
lind himself unexpectedly Out-ranked. an, if
not a printer. at least type setter. and may
very properly be set down by printers, as well
as by politicians, as decided = old fogy." In-
deed Franklin himself, who signed the treaty of
peace at 70; and was Governor of Pennsylva-
mia at S0-had he lived in this precocious and
progressive age, would, very probably. at an
earlier period of his life, have been distributed
in the old fogy box, especially had he attempt
ed to meddle in public affairs.
In my youth. was put to the case by my ex-
cellent father. who was practical printer. but
alter a. year Of trial, my father, who was a man
Otsound Judgment in other matters. came to
the mortifying, and, as | think, too hasty con-
cluslOn, that | was not smart enough for a
printer. Indeed. he had some general misgiv-
ings as to my final success in the world for he
thought boy who could never be made good
type-setter, would never amount to much. l
shall consider it quite uukind in you to say
that the soundness Of this opinion is exempli-
fled in my person. | was afterwards set to
manage cases of different character. where
you may think my proofs required still more
correction; but whatever may be thought of
my qualifications as printer, may be allow
ed, hope, without vanity, to say, that l was
found just smart enough for a rate
country lawyer.
Permit me to avail myself of this opportuni-
ty to say something Of my honored father:
Thomas Collier was born in Boston, goth
February, l76l. His aunt, Mrs Margaret Dra-
per. was, after the death of her husband. the
Kings printer in Boston, and her paper was
made the medium of the royal denunciatioEs
against the rebels. She suffered some pecuni-
ary losses on account of her loyalty having
been compelled. when Boston was evacuted by
the British, to leave the most of her effects be-
hind, among them, her printing establishment,
which fell into the hands of the Yankee rebels,
whom she locked upon as no better than canni-
balls, as they made pi of her loyal form. On
her return to England, she was rewarded by
liberal pension from the Grown. She is immor-
talized by Trumbull in his McFingal she being
the s. mother Draper spoken OF in CaBto l. |
give you the extract, not only as being OF some
interest in this connection, but because some
still impenitent Wing of your body may per-
haps profit by the last couplet:-
s' Did not our grave Judge Scwail bit
The summit OF newspaper wit,
Filled every leaf of every paper,
OF Mills. and Hicks, and MOTHER DRAPER,
Drew pIoclahatiuiis, works of toll,
In true sublime, of scsrc-crow style,
Wrote farces, toe, 'saiist of freedom.
All for yo,.r good, and none would read 'eru,
Denounced damna,ion their frenzy,
WLo died in Wing mpeni;ency."
l send you, for the evening. a miniature Of
my loyal great-aunt, which was sent to my ia
ther from London, about the year 1900. and
which was said to he an excellent likeness.
t. Collier. being inclined to favor the cause
of the rebels separated from his aunt Draper,
and left Boston, with my grandfather. under
the permission given to the citizens, by Gene
raj Gage, after the affair at Lexington He
soon after entered the printing office of Alex
ander and James Robinson, who published
paper at Norwich, Connecticut. called, | be-
levc, The Norwich Packet lie completed
his apprenticeship with Thomas Greene, at New
Haven, about the close of the Revolutionary
Gazette. the oldest newspaper, with one eXccp-
ton. in Connecticut.
Mr.. Collier went from New Haven to Litch-
feld where he established and conducted q
newspaper. called the Litchhcld Monitor. a
good, Old-fashioned, orthodox federal paper.
which was continued, under his charge. till
1907. This paper had among its supporters
and correspondents several writers Of a high
order oftalcnt and it took rank. in its day,
among the leading journals Of the Union. 1t
was then considered no discredit to be called a
fedcralist; at least SO my father thought, for he
glored in the name, and even my tiny fingers
in the little type-setting they did in the Office
became tinged with federalism which ! have
scarcely been able-l mi ght say, which have
scarcely tried to wash out.
The Rev. Azel Backus, then of Bethlehem.
afterwards President of Hamilton College, and
+. Collier, were both indicted at the same term
before the L. S. District Court were arrested
by the Marshal and taken TO Hartford, soon at-
ter the election of Thomas Jefferson as Pres-
dent, the one for preaching. and the other for
printing, '' of and concerning the said Thomas
Jefferson, the false. scandalous. and defamatcry
libels following that is to say-(I do not give
the lbelous matter. lest republication might
subject me to an indictment for iibel.1 These
prosecutions produced, at the time, good deal
of excitement. but a n0He prOsequi was entered
under instructions from Washington, before the
cases were brought to trial.
Mr. Collier, while still conducting the Litch-
field Monitor established the Troy Gazette,
which, after few years, passed into the hands
of Wright, Goveneur d. Stockwell. and was long
the leading journal Of the Whig party in Rense-
laer, by whatever name that party might have
been known. Hon. John c. Wright, late of the
Cincinnati Gazette, who married the daughter
of Mr.. Collier, was one of that firm.
About quarter of century ago. Mr.. Collier
became joint proprietor with Abiel Z. Canoll
of the Broome Republican, now owned and con-
Quoted by William Stewart Esq, one OF your
committee. As the old type wore out. and
were re-cast, the new proprietor, suppose, felt
at liberty to give more democratic tone to
the Republican. How far it may be improved
in its politics, the editor who, as you will soon
see. can speak as we'll as write, will be able to
answer for himself; but if he should be getting
too rampant in his democracy, hope it will
not be considered unreasonable to ask, that if
there arc any of the old type still in his hands,
they may, in respect to the memory of their
former owner, be bound over for tbeir.good be-
haviOr.