University of Virginia Library

Paulding's Anonymous Writings: New Attributions and Speculations
by
Ralph M. Aderman

Anonymity in writing for public consumption was the rule for a long time in the nineteenth century; and even after writers had achieved recognition for their literary efforts, they often continued to publish without signing their names. For some the sheer pleasure of writing was sufficient reward; recognition of authorship was not necessary. Such a one was James Kirke Paulding, who probably began his literary career with poems and prose contributed to New York magazines while he was still in his teens[1] and who

continued with offerings to Peter Irving's Morning Chronicle under the pen name of Walter Withers and to Irving's short-lived Corrector (1804). These were followed with his unacknowledged efforts in some of the popular magazines[2] and in Salmagundi (1807-08), a joint venture with Washington and William Irving.

After that collaboration it is difficult to chart Paulding's publications. On his numerous visits to Philadelphia he probably renewed his acquaintance with Joseph Dennie and contributed an occasional piece to the Port Folio. Several items signed "P." bear the unmistakable stamp of Paulding's prose and verse.[3] In view of his later tendency to contribute frequently to publications that accepted his work (the Analectic Magazine and the New-York Mirror, for example) it is possible that he wrote articles and poems for the Port Folio which were not identified, even with an initial.[4] When Select Reviews and Spirit of Foreign Magazines, edited by his friend Samuel Ewing, started in Philadelphia in 1809, Paulding was said to be one of the contributors of original material.[5] Since most of the contents was copied from British and American reviews, the journal contains only a small amount of original writing; and that is published anonymously. Paulding's offerings have not been identified.

The appearance in 1812 of the National Advocate, a newspaper edited by Henry Wheaton for Tammany Hall, provided Paulding with an opportunity to express his patriotic feelings during the increasing tension with England. He wrote anonymous, still unidentified essays attacking the British and supporting American independence.[6] He continued writing for newspapers

after he went to Washington in 1815; there he sent at least twenty-one letters to the National Intelligencer under the pseudonym of "Parvus Homo."[7] Many of these letters were a part of a running debate with a proponent of paper money writing as "Homo" over issues of paper currency, decentralized control of banks, and speculation. Paulding argued for Congressional control of banking and the use of specie as the basis for a national currency.

When he struck out on his own in book form with The Diverting History of John Bull and Brother Jonathan (1812), he kept on with the practice of anonymity and continued it for the next twenty years. It should be noted, however, that knowledgeable readers were often aware of his authorship of poems, essays, and tales.[8] Sometimes he used a pseudonym, as he did in John Bull and Brother Jonathan, where the authorship was attributed to "Hector Bull-Us." In Salmagundi, Second Series the author was identified as Launcelot Langstaff, whom discerning readers immediately recognized as one of the characters in the original Salmagundi. On other occasions one of his books might be attributed to the author of John Bull and Brother Jonathan, as happened in the case of Letters from the South (1817).

In similar fashion when Paulding collected into book form stories and tales that had first appeared in the magazines, he did not include his name as author. The Book of Saint Nicholas (1836) consisted mainly of stories published in the New-York Mirror, some anonymously and some with his name. When A Gift from Fairy Land (1838) was being printed, Paulding, then in Washington serving as secretary of the Navy, cautioned William Kemble, his brother-in-law who was seeing the book through the press in New York, not to reveal his identity, for "it would not Sound well for a Cabinet minister to be writing Fairy Tales."[9] For Paulding writing provided not only an outlet for his fanciful stories and perceptive views on a variety

of subjects; it also served as a means of occupying his time in a pleasing manner. Along with recreation and delight it provided him with funds which supplemented his regular income.

During the period of heated debate over the suspension of specie payments following the demise of the First Bank of the United States Paulding entered the fray with an anonymous pamphlet entitled "The History of a Little Frenchman and His Bank Notes. Rags! Rags! Rags!" (1815). The pamphlet told the story of a Frenchman who converted his gold into paper bank notes in Savannah and watched them decline in value as he traveled north and tried to use them to pay his bills. The parable provided Paulding with an opportunity to attack the widespread use of paper money largely unsupported by specie deposits and to advocate a return to the use of hard money for commercial transactions and the payment of debts.[10]

While most of Paulding's unsigned writings have been identified through republication in collections, through self-acknowledgment, or through the reports of others, some efforts still await positive identification.[11] Many of them appeared anonymously in various newspapers where it is difficult, if not impossible, to pick out some of the items he wrote. Occasionally he would indicate in a letter that he had been writing for a particular newspaper or magazine, but he did not list specific titles or subjects, thus leaving the investigator today with only a vague reference.

When he moved to Washington in 1815, he furnished articles for the National Intelligencer, the administration organ, but much of his unsigned material lies unrecognized in the files of the paper.[12] In one instance, after a lapse of nearly thirty years, Lewis Gaylord Clark stated that Paulding had contributed "searching and sarcastic articles, involving 'England and the English'" to the Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer during and after the visit of Harriet Martineau to the United States from 1834 to 1836.[13] An examination of the file of the newspaper failed to locate items that can be

specifically assigned to Paulding because his views coincided with those of the editor. Similarly, he wrote for the New-York Evening Post when the paper actively supported the Democratic administrations in the 1830s,[14] but again it is not possible to designate certain articles as Paulding's.

A few of Paulding's contributions to magazines have hitherto escaped notice as well. Soon after his return to New York in 1824 he wrote several pieces for the New York Review and Athenaeum Magazine, a periodical edited by William Cullen Bryant, who had recently come to the city. He persuaded Paulding to lend his pen to the new literary enterprise,[15] and Paulding obliged with "The Literary Trifler," "A Letter of Adrian Lubbersen," and "The Beau's Tale."[16] These stories, replete with heavy-handed moralizing, provided a bit of relief and entertainment from the serious fare of most of the articles. If the magazine had not failed, Paulding probably would have continued to write for it.

In 1835 Paulding wrote a review of Catherine Maria Sedgick's The Linnwoods; or "Sixty Years Since" in America, which William Gilmore Simms sent to Daniel Kimball Whittaker, editor of the Southern Literary Journal, and Monthly Magazine. Paulding's assessment noted her "pure and unaffected style . . . equally free from vulgarity and exaggeration" and her "taste and good sense."[17]

Upon the completion of two novels after he had retired in 1845 to a farm near Hyde Park Paulding looked for other writing projects to occupy his time and provide an opportunity for him to express his views on current political problems, especially those relating to the Compromise of 1850, abolition, and the threat to national unity. After the Democratic Review printed his letter to Robert J. Dillon and other members of the Hunker faction of the New York Democratic party Paulding sent three articles to it in rapid succession.[18] These essays addressed issues occurring in the Congressional

debates over free soil and fugitive slaves. Earlier Paulding had written an eloquent defense of black servitude in Slavery in the United States (1836), and he still felt that slaveholding, which was protected by the Constitution, should be approved or rejected by the individual states, not the federal government. He protested against the inflammatory tactics of the abolitionists, calling them Puritans and fanatics who were willfully leading the country toward disunion. As a staunch believer in the physical integrity of the United States, Paulding regarded these actions as totally irresponsible.

Paulding may have continued to write for the Democratic Review during the remainder of the editorship of Thomas P. Kettell, which extended through 1851; but without evidence relating to Paulding's involvement it is not possible to make positive attributions. In 1852 George N. Sanders edited the magazine and used it as a vehicle to promote the political ambitions of Stephen A. Douglas by attacking the "Old Fogies" among the Democrats.[19] Although Paulding probably did not write for Sanders, he obviously continued to read the Review and used the epithet "Old Fogy" occasionally thereafter.[20] After Sanders relinquished the editorship of the magazine and it changed its name to the United States Review, Paulding took an active role in its support of pro-Southern, states' rights Democrats. The new editor, Theodore A. Foster, was a long-standing acquaintance who had once served as Paulding's boatman on fishing forays on the Hudson River, and he now applied to his old friend for assistance in the venture. As Paulding put it,

From his home he wrote essays and offered advice on the conduct of the magazine.

By his own testimony Paulding "largely contributed" to the United States Review under Foster's editorship and continued when D. W. Holly

succeeded him later in 1853. From his association with the magazine we can positively identify seven offerings: These poems and sketches are all nonpolitical, were written earlier, and were taken from his portfolio of manuscripts for use in the Review.[22]

In addition, Paulding wrote essays on topics relating to slavery, abolition, states' rights, defense of the Democratic party, foreign relations, the eastern question, and national politics while he was closely associated with the journal. Since he never stated precisely what he had written, it is necessary to look for articles on the subjects of primary interest to him and for any stylistic traits which might reveal his authorship. On these grounds the following pieces may have been written by him:

With this essay Paulding probably severed his connection with the United States Review. In a letter to a Southern friend in mid-October of 1855 he stated that

Paulding seems not to have contributed to the magazine after this time.

His writings for the United States Review consist primarily of timely political pieces and tales and poems he had written earlier. The latter appeared most frequently during the early part of his connection with the magazine and were doubtless offered to provide variety to a miscellany which was largely political in nature. In addition, they were materials that he had readily at hand and could easily copy and send off. The serious articles reflect

Paulding's broad-ranging interests in national and international affairs. Since the magazine was supported by Democrats, its point of view reflected the liberal stance of the party, particularly as it related to the issues of states' rights and the upholding of the Constitution. While it is impossible absolutely to ascribe to Paulding the political writings listed above, they reflect his ideas and feelings during this period. Admittedly the editors and other contributors shared his views, but their style differs in tone, word choice, sentence structure, and rhetorical effect. These elements are difficult to specify, but a reader with a close familiarity with Paulding's writings can sense when the prose style in combination with the ideas is his. For example, Paulding does not use slang expressions; several articles on topics on which he had strong opinions can be rejected as his because the language and phrasing are foreign to his usage. These attributions are based on a long and close familiarity with his prose; they represent an attempt to identify some of his writing at a time when it was thought that he had put aside his pen.

During the hiatus when the United States Review had suspended publication Paulding continued to observe national and international political developments and react to them. Since his customary outlet was cut off, he set down his observations in essays which he allowed to accumulate. On March 3, 1854, he sent five articles on the eastern question involving England, France, Russia, and Turkey to A. O. P. Nicholson, editor of the Washington Union, the Democratic newspaper in the capital, offering them for his consideration. He shrewdly pointed out that since these items were communications, not editorial statements, they would not necessarily reflect or endorse the position of the administration. Moreover, he suggested to Nicholson, "If you think any parts of them too spicy You are at full liberty to omit or soften them."[27]

Nicholson was sufficiently impressed with the cogency of Paulding's comments to begin printing them as soon as he received them. In a special editorial Nicholson introduced the essays entitled "An American View of the Eastern Question by A Retired Statesman" by observing that

The first article appeared on March 8, 1854 and was followed on March 9, 11, 12, and 15 with other pieces. Paulding's reasoned arguments had a positive effect on readers in Washington and elsewhere as the Union was careful to declare: "The late numbers of a 'Retired Statesman' in our paper have produced a sensible influence upon the public mind in our country, whilst the late arrogant announcement of Lord Clarendon as to the objects of the English and French alliance has greatly increased that influence."[29]

Nicholson's statement was prompted in part by his receipt of another packet of essays on timely subjects which Paulding had sent off on April 1.[30] Among the additional articles appearing under the authorship of "A Retired Statesman" was a letter from Paris which Paulding had copied off; it was printed on April 5. Following were "New System of Maritime Law" (April 6, 1854), "Central America" (April 11, 1854), "Politics and the Pulpit" (April 16, 1854), "Neutral Rights" (April 25, 1854), and "The Rights of War and Peace" (May 6, 1854). It is not known whether Paulding sent all of these pieces at one time. Perhaps he did, and Nicholson decided to spread them out in order not to overwhelm his readers with Paulding's ideas. In any event, they gave him an opportunity once again to express his opinions about British activities in Eastern Europe and Central America, about fanatical ministers who preach abolitionism, and about British and French acts of search and seizure of American vessels. These were subjects which aroused Paulding to a state of vigorous protest.

Another series of shorter observations for the Union called "Obsolete Ideas by an Old Fogy" also has Paulding's stamp upon them. Often in his essays and letters of this period he referred to himself as an "Old Fogy," which in view of his age and some of his unpopular ideas was an appropriate epithet. In one section ("Turkish Toleration," May 27, 1854) Paulding used a figure of speech in which truth, hobbling like a duck, overtakes falsehood, flying on swift wings. In a poem entitled "Truth and Falsehood" published in the preceding year, he used the same image.[31] He alluded in other sections of "Obsolete Ideas" to travel books about the United States written by English visitors "in the true spirt of John Bullism" (June 1, 1854) and to the abuse of the constitutional guarantee of free speech by "a minority of seditious malcontents" (June 8, 1854). Other instances of Paulding's recurring themes could be adduced from "Obsolete Ideas," but the examples above suggest his authorship. Although he had not acknowledged these contributions as his, the unique approach to contemporary issues and the use of certain idiosyncratic phrases make him a prime candidate for authorship.

"Obsolete Ideas by an Old Fogy" appeared on April 22, May 2, 27, June 1, 2, and 8, 1854, with treatment of the following topics:

• No. 1 "Political Fanaticism"
• No. 2 "European News from the Seat of War," "Mitigating the Evils of War"
• No. 3 "Inconsistencies and Contradictions," "Turkish Toleration," "The Paris Moniteur"
• No. 4 "Rights of Women," "Sympathizing"
• No. 5 "The D---1 in Connecticut," "Odessa," "Tickling John Bull," "Tickling Monsieur," "The New Crusade"
• No. 6 "The Nebraska Bill," "Protection and Obedience," "The Scriptures," "Congress," "Religion and Morality"

Some of the sections are several paragraphs long, and others are very short. The length apparently depended upon the intensity of his reaction. Sometimes he was able to distill his thoughts into a brief, pungent statement. An example of such an apothegm is his reflection on Congress: "Congress is like a silk-worm. It spins its web, lays its eggs, and dies" (June 8, 1854). Paulding's satiric bite is in evidence throughout "Obsolete Ideas" and offers another reason for attributing these selections to him.

The identification of these writings suggests the need for a new evaluation of Paulding's activities on the 1850s. It has been commonly assumed that after the publication of his last two novels, The Old Continental (1846) and The Puritan and His Daughter (1849) he settled into placid oblivion on his farm at Hyde Park. In reality, he kept his finger on the political pulse and continued his sturdy support of Democratic principles. He became more insistent in attacking the forces that weakened the Constitution and interfered with the exercise of the individual rights of states. Political expediency or compromise he denounced as undercutting the principles on which the American nation had been founded, and he regarded the actions of abolitionists as fanatical and irrational. For him the preservation of the Union became a dominating concern. On a wider front he espoused the unpopular idea of supporting Russia against Turkey and her allies, England and France. For the latter two he had only contempt because of their efforts to increase their influence in the Western Hemisphere. His distrust of the English had not lessened after forty years of protest, and he found new reasons for concern as he watched her activities in the 1850s.

The Paulding who is reflected in the newspaper and magazine writing of the decade before the outbreak of the Civil War is an alert, intense, wellinformed, albeit opinionated, student of the national and international political scene. His strong role in guiding the course of the United States Review during its first dozen issues is a remarkable achievement for a man in his seventies, especially in view of the physical distance separating him from the rest of the editorial staff in New York City. His self-effacement and desire for privacy have prevented readers from recognizing the extent of his involvement in partisan political journalism in the last decade of his life. The items expressly or tentatively identified in this study offer testimony to the energy and concern of the septuagenarian who was supposedly living in retirement, and they show that Paulding's writing continued unabated for more than fifty years.

Notes