The record-union., 1896-11-01
PENS DIPPED In GALL.
Politicians Were Net Polite in the
GOOD Old Days"
Reverend Fathers of the Republic
Felt the Lash of Sarcastic and
SCurrilOuS Writers.

which are commonly called 1.-The better
days of the republic"
The Father of His Country" the inn
mortal Washington, was assailed as no
politician of the present day has been.
One Of the principal assailants of Wash
ington was Philip Freneau He was a
poet of considerable talent, and during
the revolution dedicated his muse TO
the cause of freedom. He was inspir-
ing in his lanpoons upon those who re-
manned loyal to he.British lion, and in
MS collected writings of the period we
find his pen dipped in gall
William Goblet was at that time
publishing his paper in Philadelphia,
called Peter Porcupine's Gazette" and
was regarded as the representative of
the Jacobin .nent, which was, just
previous to the French revolution of
1913 very formidable force, and
against it Freneau directed all the
shafts of his ridicule and contempt.
For example, these lines, addressed ito
Cobbett," in reply to "a despicaole mass
of scurrillity" which Goblet had in his
tracts leveled a the Democrats of those
days:
Philadelphia, we're sorry you suffer by
feVers,
Or suffer such sculions to be your deceiv-
erS.
VIII Pitts noisy whelp,
With his red, foxy scalp.
Whom the kennels of London spewed out
in fright
Has skulked over here
TO shuttle and Sneer
Like puppy to snap or bulldog to bite.
Such fellows as these are of England the
trash
But Columbias disgrace
Begins from that place
Ihat was digniiied once by Franklin and
Penn,
But infested by you
And your damnable crew,
VIII soon be deserted by all honest men,
jefferson, when Secretary of State
under Washington, appointed Freneau
to the position of translator for the
Department of State at salary of $3.50
per annum, and while holding that po-
sition he published the National Ga
zette,' the organ of the Democratic
party, of which jefferson was the rec
ognized head The paper teemed with
abuse of Washington, and his habit
was to send to the President three
copies of his paper daily, of which
Washington complained to Jefferson,
always abiding to him as that ''ras-
cal Freneau, who seems to think that
/ am TO be the distributor of his sheet
Hardly a number appeared without a
lampoon on the President, and at that
early day the liberty of the press was
thus fully tested. When the President
complained to Jefferson about it hot
words passed between them. Washing
ton claimed he had no right to keep on
the pay rolls of his department a man
who was so constant in his abuse of
the Administration. Hamilton COM
mented severely on Mr.. Jeffersons off,
cial support of the editor in series of
political assaults in which he charged
Jefferson with controlling the paper and
using the patronage of his office to sup
port the editor.
Jefferson denied the charges, ex-
planning that when the Government re-
moved to Philadelphia, Mr. Pintard, the
translating clerk did not choose to fol-
low, and was SO succeeded by Freneau,
but disclaimed having written, dictated,
or been instrumental in furnishing a
line to the journal. Freneau continued
his assaults, however, and sent copies
of the paper regularly to the President,
in which action Washington said he
could see nothing but an impudent de-
sign to insult him. Certainly, it was not
until after Washington became Presi-
dent that the assaults began, for on the
arrival of Washington at Philadelphia
in 1888 Freneau addressed a poem to
him fall of eloquent acknowledgment of
his greatness and his services to his
country
FROM PRAISE TO ABUSE.
In other poems written about that Pc
Rod he is full of devotion to Washington,
and it was only when he came to be as
sociated with Jefferson that he INDUCED
in the abuse that strained the relations
of Jefferson with the Administration.
Under the nom de plume of Robert
Slender he was the defender of Jeffer-
son and his party, and Jefferson so ap-
preciated his services, while disclaim-
ing any responsibility for the bitter ar
ticles directed against Washington, that
in his diary he writes: "Freneau's pa
per has saved our Constitution, that
was fast galloping into monarchy 1t
has checked the career of the Mono
Gratis"
1t may be inferred from the we'll
known enmity that existed between JEFF
ferson and Hamilton that this term in
cluded Hamilton and his friends
The very Congress which witnessed
the inauguration of Washington, and
which appeared so enthusiastic in his
support. hampered him greatly, refused
to vote the necessary means and money
to defend the inhabitants of the great
Northwestern territory, and actually
all beyond the Ohio River, making that
the extent of the United States: and
only to the persistent appeals and de-
mands of Washington are we indebted
for the territory which now embraces
several of the most important States.
During his whole administration
Washington was in great trouble Dis
trust was implanted by those whose
schemes he had frustrated and whose
designs he saw through and prevented.
JEFFERSON ALSO ASSAILED.
The French Revolutionary spirit had
fmpregnated a very considerable por-
ton of the public men of that day
During Jefferson's residence among the
French he had imbibed some of the
principles they claimed to represent
The clergy charged Jefferson with hav-
ing assaulted the religion of the fathers
and of having treated with contempt
the doctrines which Christianity taught
as essential to human felicity.
The contest for the Presidency be-
tween Burr, Jefferson and Adams was
the occasion for Hamilton's greatest eff
forts to defeat Burr and Adams, who
had refused to acknowledge his dicta-
ton. Though he disliked Jefferson he
advised his friends to vote for him in
preference to Burr. OF Jefferson he
wrote: IT admit that his politics are
touched with fanaticism: thai he is