CHAPTER XXX.
"Strong sense, deep feeling, passions strong, A hate of tyrant and of knave,
A love of right, a scorn of wrong, Of coward and of slave." --_Halleck's Wild Rose of Alloway._
Although experience has shown that the appearance of a sheriff is by nomeans a pledge of the appearance of a friend of the law in thisanti-rent movement, in our instance the fact happened to be so. It wasknown to the "disguised and armed" that this functionary was disposed todo his duty.[30] One of the rank absurdities into which democracy hasfallen, and democracy is no more infallible than individual democrats,has been to make the officers of the militia and the sheriffs ofcounties elective. The consequences are, that the militia is convertedinto a farce, and the execution of the laws in a particular county isvery much dependent on the pleasure of that county to have them executedor not. The last is a capital arrangement for the resident debtor, forinstance, though absent creditors are somewhat disposed to find fault.But all this is of no great moment, since the theories for laws andgovernments in vogue just now are of such a character as would renderlaws and governments quite unnecessary at all, were they founded intruth. Restraints of all kinds can only be injurious when they areimposed on perfection!
[Footnote 30: The editor may as well say here, that, for obviousreasons, the _name_s, counties, etc., used in these manuscripts arefeigned, the real localities being close enough to those mentioned forthe double purposes of truth and fiction. As one of the "honorablegentlemen" of the Legislature has quoted our references to"_provincial_" feelings and notions, with a magnificence that proves howthoroughly he is a man of the world himself, we will tell all the restof the human race, who may happen to read this book, that we have madethis explanation lest that comprehensive view of things, which hashitherto been so eager, because a street and a house are named in thepages of a fiction, to suppose that everybody is to believe they knowthe very individual who dwelt in it, should fancy that our allusions areto this or that particular functionary.--EDITOR.]
The instant the commotion commenced, and the ladies fled, I took Senecaand his fellow-prisoner by the arm, and led them into the library. ThisI did, conceiving it to be unfair to keep prisoners in a situation ofdanger. This I did, too, without reflecting in the least on anything butthe character of the act. Returning to the piazza immediately, I was notmissed, and was a witness of all that passed.
As has been intimated, this particular sheriff was known to beunfavorable to the anti-rent movement, and, no one supposing he wouldappear in the midst unsupported, in such a scene, the Injins fell back,thus arresting the danger of an immediate collision. It has since beenprivately intimated to me, that some among them, after hearing thenarrative of Eaglesflight, really felt ashamed that a redskin shouldhave a more lively sense of justice than a white man. Whatever may besaid of the hardships of the tenants, and of "poodle-usages," and of"aristocracy," and "fat hens," by the leaders in this matter, it by nomeans follows that those leaders believe in their own theories andarguments. On the contrary, it is generally the case with such men, thatthey keep themselves quite free from the excitement that it is theirbusiness to awaken in others, resembling the celebrated John Wilkes, whogravely said to George III., in describing the character of a formerco-operator in agitation, "_He_ was a Wilkesite, sir; _I_ never was."
The unexpected appearance of Dunning, the offending agent, too, was notwithout its effect--for they who were behind the curtains found itdifficult to believe that he would dare to show himself at Ravensnestwithout sufficient support. Those who thought thus, however, did notknow Jack Dunning. He had a natural and judicious aversion to beingtarred and feathered, it is true; but, when it was necessary to exposehimself, no man did it more freely. The explanation of his unlooked-forarrival is simply this.
Uneasy at our manner of visiting Ravensnest, this trustworthy friend,after the delay of a day or two, determined to follow us. On reachingthe county he heard of the firing of the barn, and of the attempt on thehouse, and went in quest of the sheriff without a moment's delay. As theobject of Dunning was to get the ladies out of the lion's den, he didnot wait for the summoning of the _posse comitatus_; but, hiring a dozenresolute fellows, they were armed, and all set out in a body for theNest. When within a mile or two of the house, the rumor reached theparty that we were besieged; and it became expedient to have recourse tosome manoeuvring, in order to throw succor into the garrison. Dunningwas familiar with all the windings and turnings of the place, havingpassed many a month at the Nest with my uncle and father, both as manand boy, and he knew the exact situation of the cliff, court, and of thevarious peculiar features of the place. Among other arrangements thathad been made of late years, a door had been opened at the end of thelong gallery which led through one of the wings, and a flight of stepsbeen built against the rocks, by means of which certain paths and walksthat meandered through the meadows and followed the windings of thestream might be reached. Dunning determined to attempt an ascent fromthis quarter, trusting to make himself heard by some one within, shouldhe find the door fastened. Everything succeeded to his wishes--the cookalone, of all the household, being at her post in the other wing, andseeing him the instant he presented himself on the upper part of thesteps. Jack Dunning's face was so well known at the Nest, that the goodwoman did not hesitate a moment about admitting him, and he thuspenetrated into the building, followed by all his party. The last hekept concealed by sending them into the chambers, while he and thesheriff drew near the door, and heard most of the speech ofEaglesflight, the attention of everybody being given to the narrative.The reader knows the rest.
I might as well say at once, however, that Opportunity, who, by herposition, had seen the entrance of Dunning and his party, no soonerfound herself alone with the prisoners, than she unbound them, andshowed them the means of flight, by the same passage, door and steps. Atleast, such has been my supposition, for the sister has never beenquestioned on the subject. Seneca and his co-rascal vanished, and havenot since been seen in our part of the country. In consequence of theflight, no one has ever complained of either for arson. The murder ofSteele, the deputy-sheriff of Delaware, has given a check to the "Injin"system, and awakened a feeling in the country that was not to beresisted, in that form at least, by men engaged in a scheme so utterlyopposed to the first principles of honesty as anti-rentism.
When I regained the piazza, after thrusting Seneca into the library, theInjins had fallen back to the distance of twenty or thirty yards fromthe piazza in evident confusion; while the Indians, cool and collected,stood to their arms, watchful as crouching panthers, but held in hand bythe calmness with which their leaders watched the progress of events.The sheriff now required the first to disperse, as violators of the law;with the penalties of which he menaced them in a voice sufficientlyclear and distinct to make itself audible. There was a moment duringwhich the Injins seemed undecided. They had come with the full intent toinflict on my uncle and myself the punishment of the tar-bucket, withthe hope of frightening us into some sort of a compromise; the cowardlyexpedient of a hundred men attacking and annoying one being particularlyin favor with a certain class of those ultra-friends of liberty, whofancy that they alone possess all the public virtue of the nation, whichpublic virtue justifies any of their acts. All of a sudden, the entirebody of these virtuous citizens, who found it necessary to hide theirblushes beneath calico, fell rapidly back; observing a little order atfirst, which soon degenerated, however, into confusion, and shortlyafter into a downright scampering flight. The fact was, that Dunning'smen began to show themselves at the windows of the chambers, thrustingmuskets and rifles out before them, and the "disguised and armed," ashas invariably been the case in the anti-rent disturbances, exhibited asurprising facility at the retreat. If he is "thrice-armed who hath hisquarrel just," ten times is he a coward who hath his quarrel unjust.This is the simple solution of the cowardice that has been so generallyshown by those who have been engaged in this "Injin"
warfare; causingtwenty to chase one, secret attempts on the lives of sentinels, and allthe other violations of manly feeling that have disgraced theproceedings of the heroes.
As soon as released from all immediate apprehension on the score of theInjins, we had time to attend to the Indians. The warriors gazed afterthose who were caricaturing their habits, and most of all their spirit,with silent contempt; and Prairiefire, who spoke a little English, saidto me with emphasis, "Poor Injin--poor tribe--run away from own whoop!"This was positively every syllable the men of the prairies deigned tobestow on these disturbers of the public peace, the agents ofcovetousness, who prowl about at night, like wolves, ready to seize thestray lamb, but are quick to sneak off at the growl of the mastiff. Onecannot express himself in terms too harsh of such wretches, who in noinstance have manifested a solitary spark of the true spirit of freemen;having invariably quailed before authority when that authority hasassumed in the least the aspect of its power, and as invariably trampledit underfoot, whenever numbers put danger out of the question.
Old Susquesus had been a quiet observer of all that passed. He knew thenature of the disturbance, and understood everything material that wasconnected with the outbreaks. As soon as order was restored on thepiazza, he rose once more to address his guests.
"My children," he said, solemnly, "you hear my voice for the last time.Even the wren cannot sing forever. The very eagle's wing gets tired intime. I shall soon cease to speak. When I reach the happyhunting-grounds of the Onondagoes, I will tell the warriors I meet thereof your visit. Your fathers shall know that their sons still lovejustice. Let the pale-faces sign papers, and laugh at them afterward.The promise of a red-man is his law. If he is made a prisoner, and hisconquerors wish to torment him, they are too generous to do so withoutletting him go to his tribe to take leave of his friends. When the timeis reached, he comes back. If he promises skins, he brings them, thoughno law can follow into the woods to force him to do so. His promise goeswith him; his promise is stronger than chains--it brings him back.
"My children, never forget this. You are not pale-faces, to say onething and do another. What you say, you do. When you make a law, youkeep it. That is right. No red-man wants another's wigwam. If he wants awigwam, he builds one himself. It is not so with the pale-faces. The manwho has no wigwam tries to get away his neighbor's. While he does this,he reads in his Bible and goes to his church. I have sometimes thought,the more he reads and prays, the more he tries to get into hisneighbor's wigwam. So it seems to an Indian, but it may not be so.
"My children, the red-man is his own master. He goes and comes as hepleases. If the young men strike the war-path, he can strike it too. Hecan go on the war-path, or the hunt, or he can stay in his wigwam. Allhe has to do is to keep his promise, not steal, and not to go intoanother red-man's wigwam unasked. He is his own master. He does not_say_ so; he _is_ so. How is it with the pale-faces? They say they arefree when the sun rises; they say they are free when the sun is overtheir heads; they say they are free when the sun goes down behind thehills. They never stop talking of their being their own masters. Theytalk of _that_ more than they read their Bibles. I have lived near ahundred winters among them, and know what they are. They do that; thenthey take away another's wigwam. They talk of liberty; then they say youshall have this farm, and you shan't have that. They talk of liberty,and call to one another to put on calico bags, that fifty men may tarand feather one. They talk of liberty, and want everything their ownway.
"My children, these pale-faces might go back with you to the prairies,and learn to do what is right. I do not wonder they hide their faces inbags. They feel ashamed; they ought to feel ashamed.
"My children, this is the last time you will hear my voice. The tongueof an old man cannot move forever. This is my counsel: do what is right.The Great Spirit will tell you what that is. Let it be done. What my sonsaid of me is true. It was hard to do; the feelings yearned to dootherwise, but it was not done. In a little time peace came on myspirit, and I was glad. I could not go back to live among my people, forI was afraid of doing what was wrong. I stayed among the pale-faces, andmade friends here. My children, farewell; do what is right, and you willbe happier than the richest pale-face who does what is wrong."
Susquesus took his seat, and at the same time each of the redskinsadvanced and shook his hand. The Indians make few professions, but lettheir acts speak for them. Not a syllable was uttered by one of thoserude warriors as he took his leave of Susquesus. Each man had willinglypaid this tribute to one whose justice and self-denial were celebratedin their traditions, and having paid it, he went his way satisfied, ifnot altogether happy. Each man shook hands, too, with all on the piazza,and to us they expressed their thanks for their kind treatment. My uncleRo had distributed the remains of his trinkets among them, and they leftus with the most amicable feelings. Still there was nothing dramatic intheir departure. It was simple as their arrival. They had come to seethe Upright of the Onondagoes, had fulfilled their mission, and wereready to depart. Depart they did, and as I saw their line winding alongthe highway, the episode of such a visit appeared to us all more like adream than reality.
No interruption occurred to the return of these men, and half an hourafter they had left the piazza we saw them winding their way up thehill, descending which we had first seen them.
"Well, Hugh," said Jack Dunning, two or three hours later, "what is yourdecision; will you remain here, or will you go to your own place inWestchester?"
"I will remain here until it is our pleasure to depart; then we willendeavor to be as free as Indians, and go where we please, providedalways we do not go into our neighbor's wigwam against his will."
Jack Dunning smiled, and he paced the library once or twice before heresumed.
"They told me, as soon as I got into the county, that you, and allbelonging to you, were preparing to retreat the morning after theattempt to fire your house."
"One of those amiable perversions of the truth that so much embellishthe morality of the whole affair. What men wish, they fancy, and whatthey fancy, they say. The girls, even, protest they would not quit thehouse while it has a roof to cover their heads. But, Jack, whence comesthis spirit?"
"I should think that was the last question a reasonably informed manneed ask," answered Dunning laughing. "It is very plain where it comesfrom. It comes from the devil and has every one of the characteristicsof his handiwork. In the first place, love of money, or covetousness, isat its root. Then lies are its agents. Its first and most pretending lieis that of liberty, every principle of which it tramples underfoot. Thencome in the fifty auxiliaries in the way of smaller inventions, denyingthe facts of the original settlement of the country, fabricatingstatements concerning its progress, and asserting directly in the teethof truth, such statements as it is supposed will serve a turn.[31] Therecan be no mistaking the origin of such contrivance, or all that has beentaught us of good and evil is a fiction. Really, Hodge, I am astonishedthat so sensible a man should have asked the question."
[Footnote 31: The frightful propensity to effect its purposes by lyinghas come to such a head in the country, as seriously to threaten thesubversion of all justice. Without adverting to general facts, twocircumstances directly connected with this anti-rent question forcethemselves on my attention. They refer to large estates that wereinherited by an Englishman, who passed half of a long life in thecountry. In public legislative documents it has been pretended that thequestion of his title to his estates is still open, when the publishedreports of the highest court of the country show that a decision wasmade in his favor thirty years since; and, in reference to his heir, ithas been officially stated that he has invariably refused to give anyleases but such as run on lives. Now it is of little moment whether thisbe true or not, since the law allows every man to do as he may please inthis respect. But the fact, as I understand from the agent who draws theleases, is precisely the reverse of that which has been openly stated inthis legislative document; THE PRESENT POSSESSOR OF THE E
STATE INQUESTION HAVING BEEN EARNESTLY SOLICITED BY THE TENANTS TO GRANT NEWLEASES ON LIVES AND ABSOLUTELY REFUSED TO COMPLY! In this instance theLegislature, doubtless, have been deceived by the interestedrepresentations of anti-renters.--EDITOR.]
"Perhaps you are right, Jack; but to what will it lead?"
"Aye, that is not so easily answered. The recent events in Delaware havearoused the better feelings of the country, and there is no telling whatit may do. One thing, however, I hold to be certain; the spiritconnected with this affair must be put down, thoroughly, effectually,completely, or we are lost. Let it once be understood, in the country,that men can control their own indebtedness, and fashion contracts tosuit their own purposes, by combinations and numbers, and pandemoniumwould soon be a paradise compared to New York. There is not a singlejust ground of complaint in the nature of any of these leases, whateverhardships may exist in particular cases; but, admitting that there werefalse principles of social life, embodied in the relation of landlordand tenant, as it exists among us, _it would be a far greater evil toattempt a reform under such a combination_, _than to endure the originalwrong_."
"I suppose these gentry fancy themselves strong enough to thrust theirinterests into politics, and hope to succeed by that process. Butanti-masonry, and various other schemes of that sort have failed,hitherto, and this may fail along with it. That is a redeeming featureof the institutions, Jack; you may humbug for a time, but the humbuggeryis not apt to last forever. It is only to be regretted that the reallyupright portion of the community are so long in making themselves felt;would they only be one-half as active as the miscreants, we should getalong well enough."
"The result is unknown. The thing _may_ be put down, totally,effectually, and in a way to kill the snake, not scotch it; or it may bemet with only half-way measures; in which case it will remain like adisease in the human system, always existing, always menacing relapses,quite possibly to be the agent of the final destruction of the body."
My uncle, nevertheless, was as good as his word, and did remain in thecountry, where he is yet. Our establishment has received anotherreinforcement, however, and a change occurred, shortly after our visitfrom the Injins, in the policy of the anti-renters, the two giving us afeeling of security that might otherwise have been wanting. Thereinforcement came from certain young men, who have found their wayacross from the springs, and become guests at the Nest. They are all oldacquaintances of mine, most of them school-fellows, and also admirers ofthe young ladies. Each of my uncle's wards, the Coldbrooke and theMarston, has an accepted lover, as we now discovered, circumstances thathave left me unobstructed in pursuing my suit with Mary Warren. I havefound Patt a capital ally, for she loves the dear girl almost as I domyself, and has been of great service in the affair. I am conditionallyaccepted, though Mr. Warren's consent has not been asked. Indeed, I muchquestion if the good rector has the least suspicion of what is in thewind. As for my uncle Ro, he knew all about it, though I have neverbreathed a syllable to him on the subject. Fortunately, he is wellsatisfied with the choice made by his two wards, and this has somewhatmitigated the disappointment.
My uncle Ro is not in the least mercenary; and the circumstance thatMary Warren has not a cent gives him no concern. He is, indeed, so richhimself that he knows it is in his power to make any reasonable additionto my means, and, if necessary, to place me above the dangers ofanti-rentism. The following is a specimen of his humor, and of hismanner of doing things when the humor takes him. We were in the libraryone morning, about a week after the Injins were shamed out of the fieldby the Indians, for that was the secret of their final disappearancefrom our part of the country; but, one morning, about a week after theirlast visit, my grandmother, my uncle, Patt, and I were seated in thelibrary, chatting over matters and things, when my uncle suddenlyexclaimed--
"By the way, Hugh, I have a piece of important news to communicate toyou; news affecting your interests to the tune of fifty thousanddollars."
"No more anti-rent dangers, I hope, Roger?" said my grandmotheranxiously.
"Hugh has little to apprehend from that source, just now. The SupremeCourt of the United States is his buckler, and it is broad enough tocover his whole body. As for his future leases, if he will take myadvice, he will not grant one for a term longer than five years, andthen his tenants will become clamorous petitioners to the Legislature toallow them to make their own bargains. Shame will probably bring yourfree-trade men round, and the time will come when your double-distilledfriends of liberty will begin to see it is a very indifferent sort offreedom which will not permit a wealthy landlord to part with his farmsfor a long period, or a poor husbandman to make the best bargain in hispower. No, no; Hugh has nothing serious to apprehend, just now at least,from that source, whatever may come of it hereafter. The loss to which Iallude is much more certain, and to the tune of fifty thousand dollars,I repeat."
"That is a good deal of money for me to lose, sir," I answered, butlittle disturbed by the intelligence; "and it might embarrass me toraise so large a sum in a hurry. Nevertheless, I confess to no verygreat concern on the subject, notwithstanding your announcement. I haveno debts, and the title to all I possess is indisputable, unless itshall be decided that a _royal_ grant is not to be tolerated byrepublicans."
"All very fine, Master Hugh, but you forget that you are the naturalheir of my estate. Patt knows that she is to have a slice of it when shemarries, and I am now about to make a settlement of just as much more onanother young lady, by way of marriage portion."
"Roger!" exclaimed my grandmother, "surely you do not mean what you say!Of as much more!"
"Of precisely that money, my dear mother. I have taken a fancy to ayoung lady, and as I cannot marry her myself, I am determined to makeher a good match, so far as money is concerned, for some one else."
"But why not marry her yourself?" I asked. "Older men than yourselfmarry every day."
"Ay, widowers, I grant you; _they_ will marry until they are a thousand;but it is not so with us bachelors. Let a man once get fairly pastforty, and it is no easy matter to bring him to the sacrifice. No, JackDunning's being here is the most fortunate thing in the world, and so Ihave set him at work to draw up a settlement on the young lady to whom Irefer, without any rights to her future husband, let him turn out to bewhom he may."
"It is Mary Warren!" exclaimed my sister, in a tone of delight.
My uncle smiled, and he tried to look demure; but I cannot say that hesucceeded particularly well.
"It is--it is--it is Mary Warren, and uncle Ro means to give her afortune!" added Patt, bounding across the floor like a young deer,throwing herself into her guardian's lap, hugging and kissing him as ifshe were nothing but a child, though a fine young woman of nineteen."Yes, it is Mary Warren, and uncle Hodge is a delightful oldgentleman--no, a delightful young gentleman, and were he only thirtyyears younger he should have his own heiress for a wife himself. Good,dear, generous, sensible uncle Ro. This is so like him, after all hisdisappointment; for I know, Hugh, his heart was set on your marryingHenrietta."
"And what has my marrying, or not marrying Henrietta, to do with thissettlement of fifty thousand dollars on Miss Warren? The young ladiesare not even connected, I believe."
"Oh! you know how all such things are managed," said Patt, blushing andlaughing at the passing allusion to matrimony, even in another: "MaryWarren will not be Mary Warren always."
"Who will she be, then?" demanded uncle Ro, quickly.
But Patt was too true to the rights and privileges of her sex to sayanything directly that might seem to commit her friend. She patted heruncle's cheek, therefore, like a saucy minx as she was, colored stillhigher, looked archly at me, then averted her eyes consciously, as ifbetraying a secret, and returned to her seat as demurely as if thesubject had been one of the gravest character.
"But are you serious in what you have told us, Roger?" asked mygrandmother, with more interest than I supposed the dear old lady wouldbe apt to feel on such a subject. "Is not this se
ttlement a matter offancy?"
"True as the gospel, my dear mother."
"And is Martha right? Is Mary Warren really the favored young lady?"
"For a novelty, Patt is right."
"Does Mary Warren know of your intention, or has her father beenconsulted in the matter?"
"Both know of it; we had it all over together, last evening, and Mr.Warren _consents_."
"To what?" I cried, springing to my feet, the emphasis on the last wordbeing too significant to be overlooked.
"To receive Hugh Roger Littlepage, which is my own name, recollect, fora son-in-law; and what is more, the young lady 'is agreeable.'"
"We all know that she is more than agreeable," put in Patt; "she isdelightful, excellent; agreeable is no word to apply to Mary Warren."
"Pshaw, girl! If you had travelled, now, you would know that thisexpression is cockney English for agreeing to a thing. Mary Warrenagrees to become the wife of Hugh Roger Littlepage, and I settle fiftythousand dollars on her in consideration of matrimony."
"This Hugh Roger Littlepage," cried Patt, throwing an arm around myneck; "not that Hugh Roger Littlepage. Do but add that, dearest uncle,and I will kiss you for an hour."
"Excuse me, my child; a fourth of that time would be as much as I couldreasonably expect. I believe you are right, however, as I do notremember that _this_ Hugh Roger had any connection with the affair,unless it were to give his money. I shall deny none of yourimputations."
Just as this was said, the door of the library was slowly opened, andMary Warren appeared. The moment she saw who composed our party, shewould have drawn back, but my grandmother kindly bade her "come in."
"I was afraid of disturbing a family party, ma'am," Mary timidlyanswered.
Patt darted forward, threw her arm around Mary's waist, and drew herinto the room, closing and locking the door. All this was done in a wayto attract attention, and as if the young lady wished to attractattention. We all smiled but Mary, who seemed half pleased, halffrightened.
"It _is_ a family party," cried Patt, kissing her affianced sister, "andno one else shall be admitted to it, unless good Mr. Warren come toclaim his place. Uncle Ro has told us all about it, and we know all."
Mary hid her face in Patt's bosom, but it was soon drawn out by my deargrandmother to kiss it; then my uncle had his turn, and Patt hers. Afterthis, the whole party, except Mary and I, slid out of the room,and--yes, and then it was _my_ turn.
We are not yet married, but the day is named. The same is true withrespect to the wards, and even Patt blushes, and my grandmother smiles,occasionally, when gentlemen who are travelling in Egypt just now, arenamed. The last letters from young Beekman, they tell me, say that hewas then there. The three marriages are to take place in St. Andrew'schurch, Mr. Warren being engaged to officiate.
The reader will be surprised to hear two things. My engagement with thedaughter of a poor clergyman has produced great scandal among theanti-renters, they who so loudly decry aristocracy! The objection isthat the match is not equal! That equality which is the consequence ofsocial position, connections, education and similarity of habits,thoughts, and, if you will, prejudices, is all thrown away on thesepersons. They have no notion of its existence; but they can very wellunderstand that the owner of an unencumbered and handsome estate isricher than the heiress of a poor divine, who can just make the yearmeet on $500 per annum. I let them grumble, as I know they must and willfind fault with something connected with myself, until they have gotaway my land, or are satisfied it is not to be had. As for Opportunity,I have been assured that she threatens to sue me for a "breach ofpromise;" nor should I be at all surprised were she actually to make theattempt. It is by no means unusual, when a person sets his or her wholesoul on a particular object, to imagine circumstances favorable to hisor her views, which never had an existence; and Opportunity may fancythat what I have heard has been "the buzzing in her own ear." Then thequackery of Legislatures has set the ladies at work in earnest, and hewill soon be a fortunate youth who can pass through his days of celibacywithout some desperate assault, legal or moral, from the other sex.Besides, nothing can be out of the way, when it is found that the morepopular and most numerous branch of the Legislature of New York reallybelieves it can evade that solemn provision of the Constitution of theUnited States, which says "no State shall pass any law impairing theobligations of contracts," by enacting, as they can regulate the statuteof descent, that whenever a landlord dies, the tenant, by applying tothe chancellor, can have his leasehold tenure converted into a mortgage,on discharging which the land will be his, unencumbered! We have heardof a "thimble-rig administration" in England, and really thatindustrious nation seems to have exported the breed to this country. Howmany of those who voted for such a law will like to see the ayes andnoes on the journals of the Assembly ten years hence? If there should beone such man left in the State, he will be an object of humanecommiseration. We have had many efforts at legislative chicanery, andsome that have been tolerably clever, but this is a palpable experimentin the same way, made for a reason that everybody understands, that hasnot even the negative merit of ingenuity. Our own courts will probablydisregard it, should the Senate even concur; and as for those of theUnited States, they will, out of all doubt, treat it as it ought to betreated, and brand it with ignominy. The next step will be to pass a lawregulating descents, as it is called, under the provisions of which thedebtors of the deceased can meet his obligations with a coin technicallycalled "puppies."
Jaaf drivels away. The black occasionally mumbles out his sentimentsconcerning past events and the state of the country. An anti-renter heregards as he would a thief, and makes no bones of saying so. Sometimeshe blunders on a very good remark in connection with the subject, andone he made no later than yesterday is worthy of notice.
"What dem feller want, Masser Hugh?" he demanded. "Dey's got one half ofdeir farms, and now dey wants tudder half. S'pose I own a cow, or asheep, in par'nership, what right I got to say I will have him all?Gosh! dere no sich law in ole time. Den, who ebber see sich poor Injins!Redskins mis'rubble enough, make 'e bess of him, but dis Injin somis'rubble dat I doesn't won'er you can't bear him. Oh! how ole I dogit--I _do_ t'ink ole Sus can't last much longer, too!"
Old Susquesus still survives, but an object of great hatred to all theanti-renters, far and near. The "Injin" system has been broken up,temporarily at least, but the spirit which brought it into existencesurvives under the hypocritical aspect of "human rights." The Upright ofthe Onondagoes is insensible of the bad feeling which is so activeagainst him, nor is it probable that most of those who entertain thisenmity are conscious of the reason; which is simply the fact that he isa man who respected laws to the making of which he was a party, andpreferred to suffer rather than be guilty of an act of injustice.
NOTE BY THE EDITOR.
Here the manuscript of Mr. Hugh Roger Littlepage, jun., terminates. Thatgentleman's feelings have probably forbidden his relating events sorecent as those which have since occurred. It remains, therefore, for usto add a few words.
Jaaf died about ten days since, railing at the redskins to the last, andtalking about his young massers and missuses as long as he had breath.As for his own descendants, he had not been heard to name _them_, forthe last forty years.
Susquesus still survives, but the "Injins" are all defunct. Publicopinion has, at last, struck that tribe out of existence, and it ishoped that their calico bags have been transmitted to certainpoliticians among us, who, as certain as the sun rises and sets, willfind them useful to conceal their own countenances, when contrition andshame come, as contrition and shame will be sure to succeed such conductas theirs.
It may be well to add a word on the subject of the tone of this book. Itis the language of a man who feels that he has been grievously injured,and who writes with the ardor of youth increased by a sense of wrong. Aseditors, we have nothing more to do with that than to see, while callingthings by their right names, that language too strong for the publictas
te should not be introduced into our pages. As to the moral andpolitical principles connected with this matter, we are wholly of theside of the Messrs. Littlepage, though we do not think it necessary toadopt all their phrases--phrases that may be natural to men of theirsituations, but which would be out of place, perhaps, in the mouths ofthose who act solely in the capacity of essayists and historians.
To conclude,--Mr. Littlepage and Mary Warren were married, in St.Andrew's Church, a very few days since. We met the young gentleman, onhis wedding tour, no later than yesterday, and he assured us that,provided with such a companion, he was ready to change his domicile toany other part of the Union, and that he had selected Washington, forthe express purpose of being favorably situated for trying the validityof the laws of the United States, as opposed to the "thimble-rigging" ofthe New York Legislature. It is his intention to have every questionconnected with the covenants of his leases clearly settled, that oftaxing the landlord for property on which the tenant has covenanted topay all taxes; that of distress for rent, when distress must precede there-entry stipulated for by the leases; and that of any other trick ordevice which the brains of your "small-potato" Legislature may invent inorder to wrong him out of his property. As for ourselves, we can onlysay, God give him success! for we are most deeply impressed that themore valuable parts of the institutions of this country can be preservedonly by crushing into the dust this nefarious spirit of cupidity, whichthreatens the destruction of all moral feeling and every sense of rightthat remains among us.
In our view, Oregon, Mexico and Europe, united against us, do notthreaten this nation with one-half as much real danger as that whichmenaces at this moment, from an enemy that is now in possession of manyof its strongholds, and which is incessantly working its evil under thecry of liberty, while laying deeper the foundation of a most atrocioustyranny.
I forgot to add, Mr. Littlepage significantly remarked at parting, thatshould Washington fail him, he has the refuge of Florence open, where hecan reside among the other victims of oppression, with the advantage ofbeing admired as a refugee from republican tyranny.
THE END.
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