The New Hampshire Gazette

The Amalgamation SelectMen.—We stated in our last, the conduct of Messrs. Hall and Bailey, as Selectmen in 1827, in preferring the appointment of a Federalist as a 4th of July Orator in preference to Mr. Woodbury, and have one other circumstance to record in relation to their conduct in 1823. As some difficulty had occurred in 1827, relative to the question which of the two parties should have the use of Jefferson-Hall, for their accommodation on the anniversary of Independence, which difficulty was mainly imputed to the political treachery of these two men, the Democrats were disposed to be in season, with their application in 1823. Accordingly the Selectmen were no sooner chosen, (which happened to be the same board) than they immediately made out an application, in writing, for the use of the Hall on the 4th of July, and handed it to the Town Clerk, who was to attend and swear them into office. He had no sooner pronounced the words "so help you God," than he took the application from his pocket and laid it before them. By a little shuffling, however, an application from the Federal party, which one of them perhaps, brought in his pocket, was first read, and the vote was decided, though by a majority of professed democrats, in favor of the federal party. Now supposing the most plausible pretence for this decision,—say, that the federal application had been talked of, before they were sworn into office, they were not then the Selectmen for that year, and the democratic petition was presented the moment they were legally in office, and should have been first acted upon. But should we go still further, and admit that the applications were simultaneous, which is the utmost that can be said, then, it would naturally be expected of these men, where all things else were equal, that they, professing to be democrats, should favor their own party. Their course therefore, is an illustration of what Mr. Hall subsequently said, that he "did not care a --, not a cent,—not the turn of a copper whether Jackson was President or Adams;" or rather we should say, their bias, if any, was in favor of the latter. The public will understand us; we do not question the right of these men to throw their influence into the federal scale, as they have done at the two last elections; we only want to show, that as they do now, so they did then; and that their late union with the Federal party to destroy the democratic party in this town, is perfectly consistent with the uniform proofs they have exhibited, of a total destitution of political principle.

One word more relative to the two amalgamation Selectmen, and we leave them for the present. In 1830, the year in which they nominated an opposition candidate for Senator, which was done at a private Caucus at a Tavern, without any public notice, and when probably there were not more than five or six persons present, they subsequently made a trial for a public Caucus at Jefferson-Hall, with a view to choose a set of Delegates to attend a convention at Epping, to nominate a County Treasurer. This convention was got up by them, with the express object of preventing the nomination of Mr. Drown as County Treasurer, who had been previously recommended at the Senatorial convention for this District. They accordingly assembled at Jefferson-Hall, but were defeated in their object; for the old Democratic party also attended, the invitation being given generally, and carried their points in choice of Chairman and Delegates, by a large majority of more than three to one. After the meeting was over, their leader collected his little forces in a Tavern, among whom were Hall and Bailey, chose ten more delegates, (Hall being one) and went with them to Epping to represent Portsmouth! The delegation chosen by the people also attended; but these malcontents, by false representations, obtained a vote among the members from the country to receive both delegations; but the people's delegates disgusted at such a gross violation of their rights, refused to act, and returned home forthwith, not waiting for the result of the convention. Thus was the voice of the people completely nullified by this unprincipled faction. They have now openly joined themselves to the opposition, and we can only say, "let them alone."