Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-07-18

they offer is 90 obvious that no serious
rebuttal OF II IL called for, the evidence
being so utterly nOnsensicAl and absurd
a. to excite only ridlcule and derision
aud In endeavoring to bolpter up theil
cause by means Of evidence Of this kind
they impale themselves upon . spcal
which they sharpened for use against
others. Some causes are 80 inherently
weak that any attempt TO defend them
can result only In such utter and com
plete failure as TO render their indefensi'
bllity all the more obvious and note.
worthy, and the claim that the story
| that John Chamberlain slew the Indian
chief Paugus 10 historic truth Ia OF this
lndefensible kind. In the childhood ol
Lord Bolingbroke Henry st. JOHN a
volume containing Rev. Thomas Man.
tons one hundred and ninety sermons
on the one hundred and nineteenth
Psalm was his daily task-book, but the
reading Of these sermons, instead OF pro-
ducing the impression Intended, had the
directly opposite effect Of making Boiling.
broke an infidel and an enemy OF all re-
ligions; and, In like manner, such al
legged evidence as Ia adduced by Mr..
Holden and Colonel Parker In their at
tempts to substsntiate the truth OF this
Chamberlain Paugus story is 40 utterly
worthless that, instead Of inducing q be-
lief In the verify OF the story, they have,
on the contrary, the force Of the strong
est evidence that the story has not q
single grain Of truth 10 It's composition.
feel sure that Mr.. Holden has but
hastily and cursorily examined the ques-
tion OF the authenticity Of this story OF
the killing OF Paugus by Chamberlain,
and that to this circumstance Is due the
fact that he looks upon the story as
true. He should bear In mind, however,
| that In this case, as In othera,
"a little learning IL . dangerous thing
aud should
"Drink deep. or tassc not the Pierian spring. %
II he win, without prediction or preju-
dice, psinstxkingly investigate the au-
thenticity Of this Chamberlain Pacgus
tale, am confident that he will become
thoroughly convinced that Il l. the mere
coinage Of the brain OF an unscrupul0us
romancer who, disdaining to tread the
solid ground OF truth, scared aloft and
let his riotous Imagination run smuck In
the ilimitable space Of romance and
fable. John Chamberlain, whom Elijah
Russell succeeded only too well 10 palm
ing of upon the world as the prime hero
Of Lovewell's Fight, has no title what
ever 10 the distinction which has been
bestowed upon him, and historic truth
and historic justice alike demand that
should no longer wear the crown
Of undeserved honor and glory which
fora century have made
A light, landmark. on the cliff Of fame"
In my former communication In the
Democrat, 1 stated that no genuine evi-
dence OF the truth of Russelrs story
about Chamberlain and Paugus can be
produced, and thst statement ! neither
retrsct nor In the slightest degree
qualify. II all the pieces OF alleged EVIL
dence which have been or can be advanc.
ed Ia behalf OF the truth OF Russel's
story were joined together to form a
chain OF evidence In It's support, the
chain would be found, upon examination,
to have not a single sound link In II. II
all the pieces OF genuine evidence which
have been or can be advanced 10 sub
stsntiste the story were combined into
one chapter, the chapter would be brief
er than that which Horrehow, In his
"Natursl History OF Iceland" gives
"Concerbing Snakes" on that island, Il
would be even briefer than the single
word which constitutes the advice given
by Mr.. Punch to those purposing mar
risge. No genuine evidence In support
Of the story, absolutely none whatever,
can be produced. Hunt for such evi-
dence as diligently IS one may. none
will be found II the search Is prolonged
till the Greek Calends. The story Is
nothing but the wild sntic, the dizzy
flight, OF an exuberant imagination, hav-
Ing not the slightest substratum Of truth
upon which to rest. Unheard Of, as far
as can be discovered, till seventy-four
years after Psugus's death and till at
least forty-three years after the death Of
Chamberlain, II has no substantially
whatever, and, when exposed TO the X
rays of investigation, is at once seen to
be but the "airy nothing" which, and
which alone, it Is. have no disposition
to assail the memory Of the real John
Chamberlain, no wish to pluck from his
brow any laurels which he is justly en-
titled to wear, no desire to belittle and
ridlcule him by depicting him as jack
daw arrayed In the plumes Of q pea
cock. While branding this story Of his
killing Paugus as utterly destitute Of
truth, | would not be misunderstood as
intending to utter or to insinuate word
OF insult or abuse against the John
l.t, 80 Annh h1nnA II ta
only against the ideal John Chamberlain,
the John Chamberlain who is q mere
creature of the Imagination, the John
Cham berlain who is demigod Of fable,
but who has been made to figure as the
real John Chamberlain, that what say
is directed. After Chamberlain had
been dead for forty-three years or more,
crown OF false glory was placed upon
his head, and this false glory should be
stripped Of its gliding, and the fact that
IL Is nothing but brummagem be dis
closed to the world. There is no evi-
dence that Chamberlain himself ever
played the role of imp0st0r by claiming
that he slew Paugus, and there is no
evidence that In his lifetime any one
else ever claimed this honor In bis behalf.
He was one Of the heroes Of LOvewelfs
Fight, that honor he earned and Was
Justly entitled to, and with thai high
honor we have no evidence that he was
not content. The story that he slew the
redoubtable chief Of the Pequaukets,
and that to him accordingly belongs the
glorious distinction OF having been the
most conspicuous hero OF Lovewel's
Fight, has not shadow Of basis In truth,
aud is 10 much out Of place 10 what pur-
ports to be authentic history - would
be the story of the killing Of Cock
Robin. The various old guns which are
severally claimed to have been the means
Of Paugus's death at the hands OF Cham
berlain are, one and all, destitute OF
scintilla Of rightful title to the distinction
which Il claimed for them, and oil such
weapons, instead Of being sdduced %
evidence to prove the truth Of this
ridiculous Chamberlain-P Pspgus story,
should be relegated 70 the limbo Of
museums where are exhibited stuffed
mermaids, stuffed gyascutuses and other
such like deceptive contrivances for Inn
posing upon gullible human nature. The
story 10 woven Of gossamer and moon.
beams, contains not single fibre Of
| truth 10 its texture, and has no more
claim 70 acceptance as the narrative OF
an event which actually took place than
have the ARABIAN Nights" Swttt's
"Tsle Of Tub" and Tho Surprisins
Travels and Adventures Of Baron Nun
ebausen." c -
Boston, June 8. 1899.