The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

To the Publishers of the New-Hampshire Gazette.

GENTLEMEN,

The Pieces in your Papers of the 11th and 14th of July last, against and in Defence of One Griffith, are of such a peculiar turn, tenor and stile as deserve a few Remarks--As such personal Altercations, and Reflections are far from being an agreeable Entertainment to any, but Persons in the same Temper, which it is to be hop'd is the Case of very few of your Readers. The Author of the first Piece seems to be aware of this, and apologizes for his Essay in the Introduction, but thinks the extraordinary Provocation, to which he refers will justify his Invectives. And it must be confest that such an Action, considered with all the aggravating Circumstances of Place, Time, &c. must be extreamly provoking, especially as there was neither Ground nor Suspicion for any kind of angry Resentment or uneasiness, as it is said, with the Gentleman who was the immediate Object of this Outrage.--But yet I can't but think the Author had better have saved himself the Trouble of all his Expostulations, and personal Reflections : For a bare simple relation of the Fact, with the attending Circumstances, would have struck every Mind attending to it, with such Ideas of the turpitude and detestable Nature of the Action, as no colouring of Language cou'd strengthen or enhance---nor does all that has been said set the venom'd Malice of the Agent, in a clearer View, than the bare Narration. Nor was it quite proper to point out the particular Person by Name; before Conviction, who was supposed to have perpetrated the enormous Fact. Tho' perhaps the Writer was confident he had made no Mistake in that Matter, in which he was confirm'd by the popular Opinion founded as is suppos'd both on the particular Evidence of the Fact, and because it is a new Species of Wickednes, unknown in the Town before the Person pointed at liv'd there ; and the Character of every other Person in the Town is above the Imputation.-- Yet a Conviction wou'd have more effectually silenced the Malefactor : for there is no doubt to be made that till then, ( if not afterwards ) he who was base enough to commit such an Action, wou'd have confidence enough to deny it.-Another Thing in which this Writer is blameable is the introducing a Matter foreign to his Subject, as that concerning the Advertisement of Goods to be Sold, the enquiry from whence imported, &c.- Now all this had much better have been omitted, for what was it to the Matter then under Consideration, if the suppos'd Offender had publish'd an Advertisement of Goods to be Sold by him, which he never owned.--If a Man will, to give himself some Importance in the Eyes of the World, be at the expence of publishing every row of Pins, and yard of Tape he has to dispose of, and adds many other Articles which he has not, I know not that it concerns others, any further than to take care they are not deceiv'd twice by the same Means. However, the Author perhaps Imagines, the malignant Nature of the Offence, and the sordid Wickednes and foul Spirit of the Offender, may in some measure palliate for this Performance, especially, if the Writer shou'd have any connection, with the Party immediately injur'd ; for in a remoter Degree,the whole Congregation usually meeting there, was sacrilegiously insulted and abused.

But the Answer is a Piece of a singular Strain and Composition,-a Rhapsody of inconsistent Calumny and Invective-For,after pretending, 'Surprise, Amazement and Astonishment, That the World was capable of producing such a hard mouth'd scandalous Defamer,--(Tho' it is not very easy to see the Propriety of the Terms hard mouth'd when applied to Words, express'd only in Writing) It is obvious this Quill-driver, runs directly with full Speed, into the very Strain of Detraction and Obloquy he condemns, and so far exceeds his Antagonist,as to make him a most ' Indelible Disgrace to the human Species. A Defamer of so black a Dye,that his Fellow Men,think it would be doing Service to God and the Public, and taking off the Reproach such a Monster has brought upon the human Nature, if they cou'd burn him into a non-Entity.' There's for you Reader ! a fine train of Eloquence--How smooth and Sonorous like that of Virgil ? Monstrum horrendum Informes cui Lumen Ademptum. How surprizing to see a Man rising in his Business, and improving at the same Time, so fast in Eloquence and fine Writing !

But why is this Volley of pointed bitter Words discharged on the Author of the first Piece ? Because he was so uncharitable as to suppose the Subscriber of this Performance, had perpetrated this detestable Fact, which the whole Town are Witnesses was done by Somebody, nor had any Account given of it, been at all exaggerated--the Defamation lies wholly then, in fixing on Mr. Griffith as the wicked Agent.' But why should that make an innocent Man so very angry ? Would not his Innocence and Honesty protect him ?--He might indeed say it was hard he should be suspected, if there were no Grounds for it--but wou'd allow it was a much harder Case to sustain the Injury, and therefore would forgive the Supposition ; and if he was really as the Case is put, an honest Man. would have such an Abhorrence of the Fact as would induce him voluntarily to endeavor to discover it : even tho' it should prove to be his own Brother--Something like this wou'd be the Language & Conduct of conscious Innocence, and Integrity. A Man of this Cast would,at least, rejoice at the Discovery of the Author rather than rail at the Sufferer. This wou'd have been a much better Evidence of Innocence, than all the solemn Declarations and Asseverations that Mr. Griffith has made to vouch it--he may bid defiance to Discovery, imagining himself secure in the dark-- All this is the common Language, of the most atrocious Villains, with respect to Crimes, which they have afterwards confest in the view of deserved Punishment. All the formality and Ostentation of pious and devout Awe, express'd in the denial of this Charge, in the estimation of Persons, who think justly, does but increase the Suspicion. And if there is such Scandal and Defamation in supposing Mr. Griffith to be the Man, it is more than probable the whole Neighbourhood, if not the whole Town, are Defamers.

It may be also observed, that Mr. Griffith in his Performance, discovers his Cunning, as well as Talent at writing, by entering into the Consideration of the Evidence against him,of which nothing had been said before, and says, ' There was only the circumstantial Evidence of a Girl, known to all the Inhabitants of Hampton to have the Character of as infamous a Liar as ever existed on the Globe, the scandalous Author of the defamatory Piece excepted'-- very polite, explicit and plain ! But this circumstantial Evidence was a direct and positive Oath to the Fact. or rather to so many other Facts necessarily connected, that will fully satisfy every one who shall hear it, unless perhaps such a Sceptic, who in a Trial on an Indictment for Murder, in which there was the Oath of one who saw the Respondent shoot a Gun at the deceased, who instantly died. doubted whether the Evidence was sufficient, because there was no Body saw the Bullet fly from the Muzzle of the Gun into the Body of the deceased-For, besides many other Things, except Mr.G. is not believed in what he says,it seems he told it himself- But as this Matter will doubtless pass another kind of Examination,this Anticipation and Attempt to prepossess Peoples Minds, and give them a Prejudice in his Favour against the Evidence in which perhaps he supposes Judges & Jurors will necessarily be involved--This, I say, discovers the cunning Foresight & long Reach, of this suspected Gentleman. But notwithstanding his ipse Dixit, this Girl (of more than 25 Years of Age) never had her Veracity nor Understanding called in Question, was never counted a Liar, nor deemed a Person of a bad Character in any View, before Mr.Griffith was pleased to call her as great a Liar as any on the Globe. for which Speech, perhaps her Ladyship may hereafter call him to Account.

There is also an insinuation of Gifts made to this Girl, but without foundation, and mere Artifice. -Thus he attempts to ruin the Character of another, one whose well being in the World depends upon a good Character,to save his own.--But now consider this penetrating sharp sighted Gentleman's Performance, in another View, as directly attacking One, who has not appeared, upon this Occasion, has been merely passive, and tho' so highly insulted, affronted and abused; without any, the least justifiable Pretence whatever, had said nothing. Yet this unmannerly snarling Zoilus, falls directly upon him, respecting other Matters, which have no relation to this Affair. With what Propriety let us consider a Moment.--After he had precariously, or rather falsely supposed this Girl, as he calls her, was hir'd to give Evidence of what had he done, quotes the Case of Ahab and Naboth, but what was there in that resembling the Case of raking a VAULT, to procure Ordure to defile the Seats and Cushions in a place of Public Worship ; nothing truly but only the Witnesses were hir'd, and so they have been in many other Cases it is said and any such Case might as well have been quoted as that ; but to give it some nearer resemblance; his Father's Inheritance was aim'd at : how did that appear in this Transaction, nothing had been said of it--Oh ! but the Gentleman wanted to get this Inheritance into his grasping Paws, but by the Author's rising in his Business, he was like to be frustrated ; therefore he roars out with a Voice, loud as Thunder--This is said of One, who hitherto had not said a Word -- but would be glad of his Money.--But then the resolution of the old Question, Unde Malum comes on ? by the Exclamation, “ O thou Origin of all Wickedness." So that Evil was not in the World till the Gentleman mentioned was born,because he was the Origin of all Wickedness. -These Observations are made with a View to let those who will be convinc'd,see how highly improper it is to fill a public News-Paper, which traverses the Globe, with such personal, rude and indecent Reflections and Language, as wou'd be counted Shameful at Billingsgate. It is not my design to make myself an Advocate to defend that Gentleman against the insolent high Charges of being the most grievous Oppressor of Mankind ; I wou'd only observe, such general Charges are the plainest and easiest way of Detraction in the World. because so easily said, and no particularity is necessary--what is said that is particular in this Libel about Pews, is a mere false Insinuation, for that he owns but one ( besides his Family Pew ) and that he purchased at public. Vendue.--But it is a common Case, with lazy, idle People, they will get into Debt, in spite of all Remonstrances, and than are greatly abused, they think; if they are made to pay their Debts. I make no doubt but the Gentleman here aim'd to be slandered, will take care to vindicate his own Character against this infamous Libeller, (for a more impudent bold Libel is hardly to be found,) and call him coram Nobis. and oblige him to prove where those Widows and helpless Orphans are, who have been made such by him, who are those once affluent Owners of Pews now empty by his Oppression ; with many other Clauses in this Performance. as I hear, he has determin'd.- Upon the whole, I am apt to think this Subscriber sign'd to what he did not understand, but prevail'd with some dabbler in Pen and Ink, who aim'd at saying Something he thought would be called spirited, no matter whether true or false, so it was but striking, as they call it, and directed the Machine to sign, who perhaps tho't it a fine Thing to appear to be an Author of a smart Thing ; but it is not improbable he'll smart for it.

Your's, T. N.