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continue to ride into office over our necks, upon such terms? No! the spirit that tells us we are men will not permit it; we must resist it, we must vindicate our independence, and spurn the corrupting demagogue from us. But read the letter-and restrain, if you can, your malediction and abhorrence from the profligate and daring intriguer.

Copy of a letter from Dr. Joel B. Sutherland to Joseph M'Coy.
"Lazaretto, June 27, 1816.

“Dear M———, I received your letter last night, and immediately took a chair to my front door and commenced reading of it. I was much pleased with your notion of buying out Peacock, but the difficulties that will have to be encountered before the money could be procured will not, I think, be of a trivial nature. I may perhaps make the arrangements with Boileau, in relation to the Adjutant-Generalship, but whether he would be willing to endorse a note, to raise the wind, is another question. I am told he is avaricious. However, on this point, I would just say that, for the present, nothing can be effected in relation to your scheme till Mr. Boileau returns from the state of New York, which will be in about four or five weeks. The truth is, M‘Coy, Boileau is but a child in politics; he is not half enough acquainted with the underhand work that marks the bold and designing politician. I will tell you who I think would embrace this scheme much sooner than Boileau-I mean William Findley. He is so full of schemes and notions that he is literally running over with them. But there we cannot well go. We have unfurled the flag of discontent, and it would now look cowardly to furl it up again, unless it should be thought better to surrender at discretion.

"While I write thus about Findley, do not suppose that I doubt Boileau. No, I am far from doubting this man's honesty, but I frankly confess I doubt his policy. When I see him I will read his heart. Findley, at this time, stands the best chance of any man I know, if a few of us would become recruiting serjeants in his cause. Moreover, he will be hostile to Binns. You may think me a damned strange creature to be vacillating between Boileau and Findley, but as you and I, and all politicians, are all men of principle in proportion to our interest, I have written to you undisguisedly upon the matter. If you have time to come down with Hart in his stage some afternoon, and have a long talk with me, you and I will understand each other more fully. I want to talk to you about our joining with Dr. L. I wish to know whether the Democrats might not in this way carry in the city. I know they could. I wish that you should go on the city ticket; at your leisure you could then make arrangements with Peacock. We would then be on the spot to join the man most likely to succeed.

I would like to see you before I see Dr. L. I know I shall see him before the election. I see there is no chance for my success in the Northern Liberties, except it be through the assistance of old schoolism.

"Bussier, if he is rejected, will quit the party; but by that time the opposition will have selected their candidates. He ought to watch them well now and be prepared for the worst. Remember me to all

family. Tell my parents that we are all well.

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Your friend,

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"JOEL B. SUTHERLAND.

Joseph M'Coy, Esq., New Market, Philadelphia.”

This Sutherland was always a servant of the Democrats until the year 1838, when, there being some misunderstanding between them, he tendered his services to the Whigs; on which occasion a sensible Whig, who objected to the alliance, wrote a pamphlet entitled "A Word in season to the Whigs," from which I extract the following:

"The union, harmony, and concert of action that re-elected Joel in 1834, will long be held in remembrance by the good people of Southwark and Moyamensing. His victory was achieved by the basest means -the greatest frauds ever known to be practised at the polls, and over the prostrate bodies of peaceable citizens felled to the earth by the maces and bludgeons of his desperadoes, for no cause whatever, but their attempt to reach the polls to give in their vote.

"His victory was proclaimed in Moyamensing amidst the cracklings of dwellings on fire, the discharge of musketry in deadly aim, and the screams of women and children flying naked from the impetuous flames, that prevented them from robing themselves in a fitting covering to screen them from the gaze of the mob, or to defend them against the chilling winds of a cold October night—and who, let it be asked, organised the band that revelled in these outrages against the peace of society? Joel B. Sutherland,- -a remnant of those bad men, indeed the principals in procuring illegal votes, making false returns and murderous assaults, are still with him, and by his side. Shall the Whigs join such

company-shall their candidate be ours? shall it be said that the Whigs sanctioned by their votes the enormities perpetrated by them and their unprincipled leader ?

". . . . It is now confidently asserted and believed in Southwark and Moyamensing, that Joel B. Sutherland was never, at any time, nor on any occasion, legally elected, either to the General Assembly or to Congress. What a horrible picture does this exhibit of our boasted institutions! For more than twenty years (the time he has been in office) have all the freemen in the county and the district in which he practised his foul art, been disfranchised, inasmuch as they were overpowered by illegal votes, or robbed of their rights by false returns.'

Your Lordship will observe, that it is at the primary meetings, in August, where the die is cast, at the casting of which the people should all be present; because, if the first delegation be impure, nothing but impurity can be expected from them; and with themselves, or men of their own caste, they will fill every office, even to the highest in their gift. There being no property qualifications, they frequently send dissipated characters, that have scarcely a shirt to their backs, or, if they have one, have cheated somebody out of it. The present governor of the state of Pennsylvania, as may be seen by the following evidence, is not only an insolvent but a fraudulent debtor; a man that has been guilty of perjury, and a man that may, if he has not already, fill up the catalogue of crimes, and not be unworthy of the delegation that made him the governor.

From the Herald and Sentinel. Affidavit of John H. Stonebreaker, Esq.

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"We call attention to the extraordinary facts sworn to in the following affidavit. We know Mr. Stonebreaker well by reputation, and know that his character is above impeachment. He is one of the most respectable and respected citizens of Colerain Township, Huntingdon County, and nearly as well known throughout the county as David R. Porter himself. His veracity cannot be questioned.

Huntingdon County, ss.

"Personally appeared before me, the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace, in and for said county, John H. Stonebreaker, and on his solemn oath doth depose and say, that before David R. Porter took the benefit of the insolvent laws Thomas M. Owens, and his father John Stonebreaker, were bail for Porter for sixteen hundred dollars. That shortly before he filed his petition for the benefit of the insolvent laws, Porter having secured Owens for his half of the bail-money out of the bonds given for a tract of land in the western part of the state, which he (Porter) sold for two or three thousand-dollars, brought the balance of the bonds, and another bond of about five hundred dollars to John Stonebreaker, as well as the title of a tract of land in Beaver county (I think), and delivered the whole to my father, who was to secure himself, and keep the rest safe for Porter.-Some time after Porter was discharged under the insolvent laws, he came to John Stonebreaker and got from him the balance of the bonds, (after deducting the 800 dollars bail money,) and the title for the tract of land, which land I afterwards heard him tell said John Stonebreaker that he sold for about 4,500 dollars.-The bonds and lands thus secreted and returned after his discharge, amounted to more than five thousand dollars, none of which went into the hands of

his trustees, but into his own. property had been left with my father, Porter brought the books of account of Patton and Porter to Mr. Caldwell's tailor shop near our house, and got said John Stonebreaker to take them in a bag and hide them in a barrel in the garret, where they were secreted for several years, Porter occasionally calling to examine them and draw off accounts. Porter finally took them away in a bag some years afterwards. I resided with my father during all the time of the above transactions, and knew them well, having often seen the bonds and deeds. My brother Samuel also, I think, must know the same facts, as he and I have often talked about Porter's secreting his property when he took the benefit of the insolvent laws.

Some time after the above-mentioned

"Sworn and subscribed this 18th day of July, 1838, before

DAVID SNARE."

"J. H. STONEBREAKER.

"We whose names are hereunto subscribed do certify that we are well acquainted with John H. Stonebreaker, Esq., and know his character to be good, and that his word, or any statement he may make, is entitled to full confidence and credit.

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"With some six or eight of the individuals who have signed the above certificate, we are personally acquainted, and know them to be men of estimable character. Some of them are wealthy farmers; two of them physicians of respectable standing, and two, Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Clarke, have represented that county several years in the legislature. Others we know by reputation, and can safely say we do not believe any motive whatever, other than a desire to serve the cause of truth and justice, would induce any of them to be instrumental in giving publicity and credence to the above affidavit.

“If this affidavit be false, we will put no faith hereafter in the oath of man-but if it be true, we ask, in the name of all that man holds dear, how can his fellow-citizens support David R. Porter for the office of Chief Magistrate of the great state of Pennsylvania?

Huntingdon County, ss.

"Personally appeared before me, one of the Justices of the Peace, in and for the said county, Samuel Sturgeon, who, being duly sworn according to law, doth depose and say that on Monday, the 25th June, A. D. 1838, he called upon David R. Porter, and requested him to settle a claim that the said Sturgeon held against the late firm of Patton and Porter. That said David R. Porter said that he did not owe said deponent anything, because the arbitrators in the case had made an award against said deponent; whereupon said deponent asked to see the said award. That said Porter said he would show it at a suitable time. That the said deponent then went and called upon Maxwell Kinkead and John Stonebreaker, the surviving arbitrators, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 26th and 27th June, A. D. 1838, and obtained of the said arbitrators a certificate that no award had ever been made. That said deponent then returned and again called upon the said David R. Porter, and asked him if he, the said David, had made up his mind to d anything for the said deponent: and he told him in conversation that he, the said deponent, had settled the claims of the poor labouring hands who had assisted him to perform the labour, the sum of three hundred and sixty dollars or thereabouts, and that he the said Porter should do something for him. That the said David R. Porter admitted it was a hard case, and said that we had better compromise. That the said Porter desired the said deponent to name the conditions of a compromise. That the said deponent said he would leave it to the said David. Whereupon, the said David offered the sum of one hundred dollars, if the said deponent would part with him good friends, and said that he would leave the said deponent to think of the matter. That the said deponent did think of the matter, and in about half an hour met the said David R. Porter again, at his house, according to Mr. Porter's invitation, and then told Mr. Porter that he would not take the one hundred dollars: Mr. Porter then offered to give the deponent one hundred and eighty dollars, being one-half of the amount, without interest, for which the said deponent had settled with the labourers, and the said David R. Porter then sat down and wrote a receipt in full of all demands, and a release of all claims against Patton and Porter, which he presented to deponent to sign; and the said David R. Porter then wrote a certificate, which he read to said deponent, and handed him to sign, the substance of which, as nearly as the deponent recollects, was, that I do certify that I have known David R. Porter for upwards of twenty years, and that I know him to be an honest man, and just and upright in all dealings,' &c. When he read it to deponent, said deponent told him he could not sign it, nor would not sign it, if he, the said Porter, would give him all Huntingdon for doing so; thereupon

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