CHAPTER I. Origin of the Statesman Party. "Go thou, and like an Executioner, "Cut off the heads of too fast-growing sprays, IN 1824, there were four candidates for the Presidency, viz :W. H. Crawford nominated by a portion of the democratic members of Congress,-J. Q. Adams by the New-England States,General Jackson by Pennsylvania and part of the West, and Henry Clay by Kentucky and other Western States. In Massachusetts, a great majority of the moderate men of both the old federal and republican parties united in favor of Mr. Adams. But a considerable Crawford party soon appeared, formed by an amalgamation of high-toned federalists and radical democrats ;—the federalists actuated by personal aversion to Adams, and the democrats by an anxiety to sustain the precedent of Caucus nominations. Of this party I am inclined to believe that the federalists constituted the greater part, but as Mr. Crawford was held up in Virginia and some other Southern States as the regular democratic candidate, it became politic for the party here to march under the same standard; and thus was brought forward into the front rank a set of men who, but for this circumstance, would probably have never been heard of as leading politicians. In proof of the extent of federal influence in the Crawford party of Massachusetts, read the following extracts from a circular letter distributed, in Oct. 1824, throughout the State. At a numerous and respectable meeting of Federal Republicans, at the Supreme Court Room, Boston, convened by a notice in the newspapers, last evening, (18th Oct. inst.) the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted unanimously: To the Federal Republicans of Massachusetts." FELLOW-CITIZENS.-A number of your political friends assembled on a sudden call, made through the newspapers this morning, of Federalists opposed to a pledged ticket of electors, beg leave to ex press to you their opinions on the subject of the approaching election of a President of the Union. The election of a chief magistrate is surely among the most important rights of freemen; but for many years past we have had so little share in such elections, that we seem to have become indifferent to the subject.-There is certainly a division, however unequal, in the opinions of the Federal Republicans, as to the qualifications of the several Candidates, and probably for that reason they had declined to act on this occasion as a distinct body.— While we respect the principles which have induced this forbearance lest offence should be given to some of our friends, we cannot conceal the fact that there has appeared a general and decided hostility to the pledged ticket, and we believe that at the polls a very great majority of the Federalists will act with us. us. About five or six hundred voters are now present, and they form but a part of those in the city who feel, think and will act in union with And we declare that whenever we have witnessed an appeal on this subject to unbought and unpledged men, we have seen one general burst of indignation against the proceedings of the placemen who selected for public approbation a list of electors, who before they could be received as candidates, were obliged to surrender their voices to the cabal who appointed them, and thus bind themselves slavishly to declare the will of others, instead of exercising the proud and honorable prerogative of free and independent electors. SAMUEL L. KNAPP, Chairman. GEORGE G. CHANNING, Secretary. The following were chosen a Committee of Correspondence, agreeably to one of the above resolutions, viz:-Alden Bradford, Henry H. Fuller, Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff, James C. Merrill, Samuel Henshaw, Benjamin R. Nichols, Henry Williams, George Morey, Jr. Charles Barnard, and Ninian C. Betton, Esquires. The pledged Ticket was the Adams ticket, the unpledged the Crawford ticket. The Electoral Ticket supported by the Crawford party, was composed, with few exceptions, of old Federalists. The Hon. Jonathan Russell was unquestionably the leading man of the Crawford party in this State, and conducted the contest with an ability deserving of a more happy result. But among the leading democratic members in Boston, were David Henshaw, then a druggist and apothecary, now Collector of the Port, with a salary and perquisites of about $5000 per annum. Andrew Dunlap, a lawyer, in small business, now District Attorney, fees (supposed) from 2 to 3000 dollars a year. John K. Simpson, an upholsterer, now Pension Agent and Deputy Treasurer of the U. States, (as President of a Pet Bank;)-pay supposed from 5 to 6000 dollars. Daniel D. Brodhead, then a Merchant-Tailor, now Navy Agent, pay probably $4000.Nathaniel Greene, then Printer of a weekly newspaper called the Statesman, now Post Master of Boston, pay about 6000 dollars per year. C. G. Greene, was of so green an age that I cannot remember whether he had then been initiated into the mysteries of party, but if so, he was a printer;-now contractor. for "twine, blanks, &c." at over 29,000 dollars per two years. The two first gentlemen were the principal writers for the newspaper printed by Greene, and his printing office was the scene of the political consultations of this august body;-hence they took the name of the "Statesman party." Other gentlemen, of much superior talents, attainments and influence, were members of the party;-but the little faction above named, finally succeeded, by a combination among themselves, in obtaining under Jackson, to the exclusion of the rest, every lucrative office in Boston in the gift of the President, and in distributing among their partizans, relatives, and debtors, in town and country, nearly all the other appointments of less emoluments. Of the private characters of these men I have nothing to say, and shall confine myself to their public and political stations, characters, and conduct. At the period of which I have been speaking, Mr. David Henshaw was remarkable for nothing but an active and moneygetting industry, a professedly deep-rooted hostility to the aristocracy, (so called,) which usually means all who are richer than ourself, and an enthusiastic admiration of Napoleon Buonaparte. He has since swelled to a tremendous greatness, of which I shall treat hereafter. Mr. Dunlap was noted for his immeasurable abhorrence of the Hartford Convention;-it was his cloud by day and pillar of fire by night; the beginning and end of all his public speeches and newspaper paragraphs. He furnished most of the ideas for the newspaper, which Henshaw reduced to form. In truth he was and is the most radical and intolerant democrat I ever encoun"Impiger, iracundus, inexorabilis, acer;"-rash, wrathful, vindictive, and daring,-as a politician. I shall allude to him again. Mr. John K. Simpson,-better known among the party as "Johnny K." This personage is the miniature Van Buren of the associates,-soft, sly, and insinuating,-never losing sight of 1 his own interests and advancement;-intent upon the fees but careless of the honors of office ;-and accomplishing all his political projects by some manœuvre and intrigue. Indeed, so natural to him is this, that I doubt whether he can blow his nose without a stratagem. He however makes himself extremely useful as a member; is peculiarly active and successful in collecting affidavits when it becomes necessary to trip up the heels of a refractory office-holder; in drilling the democratic members of the State Legislature; in preparing the "cut and dried" measures to be passed by all Caucuses and Conventions under the "Statesman" jurisdiction; and in managing a change of front, if it becomes expedient to abandon a great Candidate for office when his prospects grow cloudy. His political conversation is in whispers and by the button, with an eye continually watchful of eaves-droppers and spies. And although he sometimes manages to dupe his associates and effect his own schemes while apparently promoting theirs, yet his peculiar qualities have rendered him a great favorite of the Statesman faction. By the sale of feathers he made himself rich, and as Deputy Treasurer of the U. States, beyond all question, he will thoroughly "feather his nest." If Van Buren is elected President he should make him Grand Chamberlain of the household. Mr. Daniel D. Brodhead. Of this important personage I know but little. It is said, however, that having been a Clerk of the Navy Office under the late Amos Binney, Esq. (whom Amos Kendall hunted so unmercifully, in his "black list;") he has a sharp look out to the main chance; and, also, that while a merchant tailor, he produced very tolerable "fits." This gentleman affects the profound politician, and reasons high in oracular language, but it is only "vox, et preterea nihil"-voice, and not much else. With all his close political calculations, he happened to be caught at the great "National Tariff Convention," not long before the last Presidential election, although I think that he toasted Mr. Calhoun, at a public dinner, a few years before, with great vehemence But perhaps, as the political atmosphere. looked rather squally at that moment, a seat in that Convention was not a bad move, since in the event of Mr. Clay's success, it might just have been mentioned as a passport to his favour. He obtained the office of Navy Agent by a majority of one vote, 17 to 16,-many Senators being absent. And there are certain facts connected with his appointment, and certain other matters in which he has been concerned, that will oblige me to call him up again. Mr. Nathaniel Greene. I knew him in 1824 as merely of the firm of True & Greene, printers of the Statesman, and from that time to 1829, never suspected him of writing a single important article or even a paragraph, for the paper. The cause of his appointment as Post Master was, for a time, wholly unaccountable, but it at last transpired. He has since figured in so many extraordinary transactions illustrative of political character, to be detailed in the following pages, that I will for the present suspend any further remarks, trusting to introduce him with greater effect hereafter. And as his brother, Mr. C. G. Greene, had not then attracted much notice, I shall leave him until the period, when he burst suddenly upon his astonished party, in the meridian splendor of Ciceronean glory. Such was the origin and such were the leaders of the famous "Statesman party" of Boston ;-a party that for a long period kept itself aloof and disconnected from every other party pursuing the same political ends, repelling all interlopers and overthrowing all rivals ;-maintaining no friendships except with each other, but eagerly accepting the fruits of other men's labours ;— veering with every breeze apparently disastrous to their patrons and benefactors,-secret, persevering and indefatigable in the prosecution of their selfish objects, until they managed to share among themselves nearly every government appointment in Boston connected with profits and patronage! And these are the men, who now, fearing the loss of their enormous salaries by the defeat of Van Buren, are struggling, with a hope of success, get our State Government into their hands, so that Henshaw may be a Senator in Congress, Dunlap a Judge of our Supreme Court, Simpson Sheriff of Suffolk, Brodhead Register of Probate, and the two Greene's Adjutant General and State Printer, leaving the minor offices of the Commonwealth to be scrambled for by the country members of the party. Some of my readers, knowing the men, may smile at this assertion but I can tell them, that smile of incredulity may be |