Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-08
YeIisfelIanedns &eadina.
From the New York Sun, November S, 1873.
THE KING CARPET-BAGGER.

. From the New York Sum- November S, 1873.
THE KING CARPET-BAGGER.
EARLY HISTORY OF JOHN J. PATTERSON.
John J. Patterson was born in Junista
County, Pennsylvania, his father being q
well.to-do and respected citizen of that place
The subject of the present sketch entered the
school of politics in 1858, by moving from
Juniata to Harrisburg, where he purchased Of
} Theo. Fem and Philo Sedgwick the Pennsyl
pania Telegraph. There was nothing about
him at that time to make it possible to con-
ceiye of any political earthquake mighty
enough to upheave him into the seat of John
c. Calhoun. He had already set out on the
road which formerly led to the penitentiary
and as Christian statesman had not then
been invented as employment for the super.
fiuous rogues of the land, Johns chances OF
ending his days in making shoes or plating
chair bottoms for the State, we're as good as
those of any young man of his age.
The first fraud committed by Patterson af'
ter emerging from obscurity, was in swindling
Mr.. Fem out of the purchase money for the
TELEGRAPH. He paid one.third cash aud gave
his notes for the balance at stated periods.
He represented that he owned $4,000 in bis
own right, besides his expectations from his
father. This subsequently proved to be lie
out of the whole cloth.
A few months after this, and before his
notes became due, Patterson sold the Isle-
graph to Messrs. Clyde & Miller, for an ad-
vance of $4,000, and left the city. Fem
came to Harrisburg at the maturity of the
notes, but did not find his man. A diligent
search brought Patterson to light, but he said
he had no money, and must wait till Clyde
& Miller's notes became due, when Fem
should receive every cent due. He refused to
hypothecate Clyde & Miller's notes as securi-
ty, and on Fenn's threatening to attach the
money in their hands, Patterson put up q
whimpering plea that he was engaged to mar
ry high-toned young lady. "1f" said he,
"you proceed against me in this way, my
prospects will be blasted. Trust to my honor
and solemnly declare 1 will pay you every
cent owe you" Fem replied, ut shall be
and I will trust you."
Patterson Immediately disposed of his notes
to one John H. Berryhll, and when Mr..
Fem next asked him to redeem his pledge,
he laughed in his face, and told him coolly to
get the money the best way be could. Fem,
exasperated, went to court and obtained
Judgment in August, 1858, against Patterson
for $3,9O4.22, with $918.17 of interest. But
Patterson had no visible means of support
and the judgment could not be enforced.
Fem patiently bided his time till the old
man Patterson died. But before he could
step in, Patterson had confessed judgment to
his wife, on the death of his father, for $l0,-
900, and judgment for that amount was en-
tered in the Juniata court in favor of Lucre-
tia Patterson, his wife.
In the meantime, Patterson had gone to
Philadelphia, where he began banking oper-
ations in copartnership with one Samuel Slay-
maker. He stayed here just long enough to
fleece his partner and several creditors out of
goodly sums of money.
About this time Simon Cameron, the Win
nebago chief. in whom it is difficult to say
whether ability or wickedness is predominant,
had arisen from a raftsman and printer to
CAPITALIST and statesman. His peculiar poll
tics demanded peculiar tools, and Simon was
not long in discovering the transcendant abil-
ity of Patterson as political pimp. Patter-
son was entrusted with the task of manipula.
ting the counties of Juniata, Snyder and
northumberland. In this humble occupa-
ton, occasionally swindling politically and
financially in small way, Patterson contin.
ued until the opening of the war displayed
fine field for a man of his acquisitive genius.
Cameron became Secretary of War, and Pat
terson was made paymaster in the army. By
the time the Senate met, it was proven that
Honest John had mistaken government funds
for his own, and that body refused utterly to
confirm the appointment, upon direct evil
dence of fragrant overcharges He quit the
army in disgrace. But another arena open
ed for him.
Cameron had him nominated for Congress
from the Fourteenth Pennsylvania District,
which at that time had Republican ma jor-
ity of $500 votes. But the avenging Meme.
sis was on his track. Fem had waited, as
one without hope, for that balance due from
Patterson for eight long, weary years. But
it had never come. Honest John laughed all
duns to scorn. So when Patterson began to
stump his district, Fem concluded to stump
it too. He had hundreds of hsndbills struck
of, entitled "A Plain Statement of Facts"
in which the entire newspaper transaction
was detailed in every particular. These ne
tackled up at every corner, distributed IN eve.
ry public place, and, in addition, he himself
narrated his story to every farmer he met,
and who had known him throughout his for.
mer connection with his paper. The hand.
bill was racy reading, containing such ex-
pressions as the following: He had his
property and refused to pay me from an in
nate dishonesty and predetermination to de-
fraud me-" "Can be have the presumption,
aye, the insulting impudence to ask man to
vote for him, or even to look an honest man IN
the facet" 'Spurn him from your presence,
and teach other knaves who aim to make
party politics subservient to their ambition
and their avarice, that honesty is the best pol.
icy.' and combine to lash the rascal naked
through the world ="
"Will the Republican party of this district
sanction and uphold the dishonesty Of this
man, Patterson, to represent the district with
this brand of dishonesty stamped upon him !
Has it lost that high moral integrity that has
ever characterized it? Will it put such
man in position to plunder the nation, or
sell his party whenever he can do so for his
own benefit? What else can be expected of
knave who aspires to such position ?"
This appeal, with Fepn's personal canvass
and the general odium into which Patterson
had even then fallen at home, led to his dis.
astrous defeat for the Republican party had
not then become debauched. as it now is.
Patterson was led to consider Fem pref
ty troublesome customer to have hanging
around his heels, and, some time after, made
peace with him by satisfying his judgments.