University of Virginia Library

17. CASTLE GARDEN.

[From the New York Times of October 28, 1834.]

My dear, good Times—That was a sinister sort of waggish
suggestion of yours, to the Commercial the other day; that it
was not doing even-handed justice, to stick a motto along side
of Seward's name, and leave Stillwell—“tho interesting”
Mr. Stillwell—all—“alone in his glory.” The Colonel
might have answered you, and showed his learning, if he had
a mind, and had, moreover, read Beaumont and Fletcher.
How he might have swamped you with his quotation from
“The false One.” How he might have glorified himself, and
his candidate, by halo-ing it around the Lieutenant-Governor's
patronymic!

Cæsar.

But the Colonel knows more about Anti-Masonry, and Militia
tactics, than he does about joking, and dead poets; and so
he thanked you kindly for the hint, and stuck in an extract
from a letter said to have been written by Stillwell, which
contained “the interesting” information that certain things
were going to be done, which had been done already. The

author of that document, and the time of its composition, have
not yet been discovered. There the extract stands, though,
and the Colonel—I suppose—made the best selection that his
reading, and the source of collation, could provide. Now,
every body knows that Stillwell did not concoct, or “get up,”
that idea. No man in his senses can believe it.

“Stop thief, stop thief,” is sounded in the streets, and a
bold faced larcener feels the fingers of a sturdy democrat in
his neck. Pilfered citizens come up and claim their apparel,
with which the rascal has adorned himself. He is stripped
—restitution is made, though justice not yet done—his jewels,
watch, rings, coat, hat, boots, jacket—all, all are claimed and
identified, and delivered to their proper owners. Nothing remains
but his pantaloons and shirt. Will the presumption be
that these are “original?” Should he happen to have a horse
with him, will any man doubt that he has committed a plagiarism
upon that “interesting” animal? The Col. must take
and feel the force of this allegory. If he does not, I pray you,
elucidate, indoctrinate him. Tell him, moreover, that the
sentiment which he has selected, is not apposite, nor appropriate,
and give him the following to select from. These are
respectable, honest, genuine quotations. Since Stillwell must
have a motto, let him have one that is somewhat relative to
his character and talent.