New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-07-06
The First Campaign Liar.

iBy James Parton, in the Atlantic for Julyl
That product of the human intellect
which we denominate the campaign lie,
though it did not originate in the United
States, has here attained development
unknown III other lands. 1t is the destiny
of America to try ali experiments and ex-
haust all follies In the short space of sew
enty-seven years we have exhausted the
efficiency of falsehood uttered TO keep a
man out of Office. The fact is not to our
credit indeed: for we must have he'd TO
an unreasonable extent before the printed
word of man. during elk whole months
of every fourth year, could have lost SO
much OF its natural power TO affect human
belief. Still less is it for our good since
campaign truths, however important they
may be. are equally Intellectual. Soon after
the publication of a certain ponderous work,
called the Life of Andrew Jackson, one Of
the original jackson men of Pennsylvania
met the author in the street, and said in
substance Il am, astOnished to find how
little l knew of man whose battles
fought for twelve years. / heard all those
stories of his quarrels and violence. but
supposed, Of course. they were campaign
les!'
Thomas Jefferson. who began so many
things in the early career OF the United
States, was the first object upon whom the
campaign liar tried his Impractical talents.
The art. indeed. may be said to have been
introduced in 1896 to prevent his election
to the Presidency; but it was in 1900 that it
was clearly developed into distinct species
of falsehoOd. And, it must be confessed
that. even amid the heat of the election Of
1900, the campaign liar was hard put to 1t,
and did not succeed in originating that va
riety and reckless extravaganza Of calumny
which has crowned his efforts since Jeffer
.o,,-, 70 x,roooptoj IN bis viau vuncf Ais.
couraging monotony Of innocent and bene-
fetal actions-twenty five years Of labOri-
GUS and unrecompensed public service, re-
lieved by the violin, science, invention, agri-
culture. the education of his nephews and
the love of his daughters. A life so excep-
tonally blameless did not give fair scope to
talent; since falsehood, to have its full and
lasting effect, must contain fraction of
grain Of truth. Still, the Champaign Liar
of 1900 did we'll enough for beginner
He was able. of course. 20 prove that Mr..
Jefferson hated the constitution had hat. d
it from the beginning, and was pledged to
subvert it, The noble Marcellus of New
York lHamlton. apparently writing in
Noah Webster's new paper, the Commercial
Adrcrtiser. scared into prophecy, and was
thus enabled TO describe with precision the
methods which Mr.. Jefferson would employ
in etfecting his fell purpose. He would
begin by turning every federalist out OF
office, down to the remotest postmaster.
Then he would tumble the financial
system Of the country into ruin at one
stroke which would Of necessity
stop all payments Of interest on the
public debt and bring on universal bank
ruptcy and beggary" Next, he would dis
mantle the navy, and thus give such free
course to privateering, that 'every vessel
which t1oated from our shores would be
plundered or captured. And, since every
source of revenue would be dried up, the
government would no longer be able to pay
| the pensions of the SCARED veterans of the
revolution, who would be seen starving in
the streets or living on the cold and pre-.
| earIous supplies of charity Soon. the un-
paid officers of the government would re.
! sign, and "counterfeitng would be prac.
| ticed with impunity." In short. good peo-
| pie. the election of Jefferson will be the
signal for Pandora to open her box. and
! empty it upon your heads.
The Campaign Liar mounted the pulpit.
| In the guise of the Rev. Cotton Mather
| Smith, Of Connecticut, he stated that Mr.
| Jefferson had gained his estate by robbery
| and fraud: yea. even by robbing a widow
| and fatheress children OF $4,000 intrusted
| TO him by the dead fathers will. "Al! this
can be proved said the reverend cam
paigner. Some of the falsehOods were
curlously remote from the truth. ''He de.
spises mechanics said a Philadelphia
paragraphs OF man who dotted on a
well-skilled. conscientious workman. "He
despises mechanics. and owns $50 of them, -
| remarked this writer. Tha. Monticello
swarmed with yellow Jeftersons was the
natural conjecture Of a party who vecog.
| nized as their chief the paramOur of Rey-
nolds. 'Mr. Jetferson's Congo harem'' was
party cry. There were illusions to Ger
tain 'Dusky Sally" otherwise Sally Hen.
ings. whose children were said to resemble
the master OF Monticello in their features
| and the color OF their hair. In this par.
| ticuiar campaign lie there was Just that
| fractional portion Of truth which was
! necessary to preserve it fresh and vigorous
| to this day. There is even a respectable
Madison Henings now living in Ohio, who
supposes that Thomas jefferson was bis
father Mr.. Henings has been misinform-
ed. The record OF Mr.. Jeffersons every
day ana hour, contained in his pocket mem
orandum books, compared with the record
of his slaves birth, proves the impossibility
of his having been the father Of Madison
Henings. So lam informed by Mr.. Ran
dali who examined the records in the pos
session Of the family. The father of those
children was near relative Of the Jeffer-
sous, who need not be named.