The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-15
the AUTHORSHIP or THE flAUSTING tE."
To TIE EDiTos OF THE HERALp.-

To TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Allow me to call your attention and thas or your
readers TO the claim set up by william GLAND Bourne
TO the authorship Of a poem written by Charles a.
Halplne and generally designated by the above title.
ms claim would have been dismissed with con-
tcmpt-made as it is, after the death Of the person to
whom the lines in question had long been at
tribuled-were II not for the remarkable endorse
ment OF the claim by Charles A. Dana who was at tho
time OF their publication one of the editors OF the
Tribune This gentleman first states that his recol-
lection was that the manuscript was brought to
the Tribune Office by General Halpine per-
sonaly; but. in subsequent editorial in the
sun. he says that he has been convinced
by referring to the Tribune that the "weght OF
evidence is altogether in favor of Mr.. Bsurneu tho
only scrap or additional evidence being that THIS
piece Is dated s'Iirookyn, L. June 3 1854 where
the time were not Let me ask what becomes OF
this wonderful testimony which Is supposed to be 80
conclusive when 1t Is known that General Halpine
resided in Brooklyn at that timer
Not 10 take up much OF your space will eondense
the facts and the evidence IN the case as much az
The authorship or this poem was openly and ne
quently brought up against General lialpne
by his copperhead opponents and changes ruiig
upon the charge In all the copperhead newspapers
A controversy even spran2 up IN the
pen or thai OF one George Boweryem and no reading
man--above all, no man who was the actual author
can now plausibly pretend that he was ignorant OF
democrat and such the paternity OF so very radical
production might damage him politically, and he
sometimes cvaded the accusation by treating 1t as
JOKE but never seriously denying IL; the furthest he
went was TO intimate that 1t was written by big
was the war path after that Indian and meant to
have his scalp But In the year 1866 after the war
had settled the question OF slavery he published q
book called 'Baked Meats" in which he distinctly
admits the authorship and gives all the circum-
stances connected with the publication.
In several issues OF the Cftzen he did the same
thing In verse publishing series OF cOuplets
referring TO the "Fiaunting le'', and each ending
O'Reiiy.n In private it was pet joke with him TO
lay the dscredit OF the dsloyal song on Mr. Greeley
whenever the latter was present; and IN their close
intimacy almost Ike father aud son. this easapiry
was standing amusement, Mr.. Greeley beanl,ng
through his spectaces while being iwittcI about It
often and remember Mr.. Greeleys men
tloning to me that iialpine had written it,
aud Halpi himself told me- all the parn'
and that George Boweryem IS dead the only two
persons whose names were connected with 1t ana
who could probably give full explanation, third
claimant arises. This claimant Is . republican and
has long been the publisher Of certain radical papers.
to whom the credit Of writing such u poem would b..
invauable and yet for fifteen years he cOnceals tho
claim and only puts 1t forward when the accredited
author Is dead For Iialpnc,s course we can see
be Intentionally decelying for people make queer
blunders ana labor under odd halucinaiions some
But now for further proof Mr. VIM. C. Barrett
Of 20 Nassau street. saw the manuscript in Happiness
IL
published and remembers his manner and actions
at the time-his waving 1t over his head and the GU
rious bOyish delight he always cyinced when he HAD
done anything he thought particularly striking lie
further remembers that Hapine told him that II waS
posted on the HERALD bulletin. bellevc-at least
the bulletin Of some paper that was using IL To
arouse prejudice against the Tr1bnne-and how he
had stood the other side Of the way to watch the
effect on the public All this his family II 1t were
proper to bring them forward, could confirm. Ho
first intended taking II to the independent, ia
which he was then contributing, but on the advice
Of friend carried II to the Tribune; 40 that
we have Greeley's recollection, Danas impress Ion,
| Barret's positive assertion, open acknowledgment
and public accusation one side, and what on the
othcrS That one poem was dated and Others were
not. Whoever knew Charley Halpine and knew him
] to present four poems In the same wayS Why. ha
had ut least six de plume, and believe more.
| lie was the letter an" "Chares Broadbent" the
"Bird In the Bush,r '.Mes O'Reillyu and 'Charles
G.. Halpine" and II he put signature to poem
it pretty that he would not the next. II
he had been living in Brooklyn and wrote three
pieces without some designation he would surely put
an address on the fourth If he could not put q
to II. And that Is the simple explanation OF date
to which Mr. Dana gives so much weight l can
elaborate and fortify this statement to any extent,
but know that cannot have your space FOR more
than IL absolutely necessary TO yndlcae the reputa-
ton OF dead friend. You VIII perceive that leave
entirely out OF question the repeated declarations or
the deceased Offset By the later assertions VI hs
adversary. X.