William Plumer of New Hampshire, 1759–1850 by Lynn Warren Turner

Author:Lynn Warren Turner [Turner, Lynn Warren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Historical, History, United States, Revolutionary Period (1775-1800), State & Local, New England (CT; MA; ME; NH; RI; VT)
ISBN: 9780807838426
Google: 0V1gDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: UNC Press Books
Published: 2018-06-15T00:42:04+00:00

CHAPTER XI

War Governor

“WILLIAM PLUMER is at this moment the man of the people; and he will yet be the choice of the people, when delusion and error and party venom shall have been dispelled by the all-powerful influence of REASON and TRUTH.”1

IF, in 1812, Plumer’s sole motive in leaving his literary pursuits long enough to become governor of New Hampshire was the prospect of serving his country, he chose an appropriate time to make the sacrifice. The nation was backing into war through sheer inability to find any other course of action. The times demanded unity as never before, yet the administration, which had allowed itself to be tricked into abandonment of neutrality, was hampered by a malevolent partisan opposition and embarrassed by divisions within its own ranks. In such an atmosphere of strife, Plumer had little reason to expect courtesy from his political opponents. Some of the superior intellects among the Federalists, notably Jeremiah Mason and Daniel Webster, assured him that they had high hopes for his good influence on the judiciary, but Mason would not promise him to accept an appointment.2

The Federalist newspapers, however, “opened the flood gates of low vulgar abuse & calumny agt me,” as Plumer wrote to a friend in Washington.3 The Portsmouth Oracle greeted the first announcement of his candidacy with the declaration that “if anything was necessary to stimulate the patriotism of the Federalists, we think they would find it in this nomination. New-hampshire may be very far departed from her primitive political character, and yet not far enough to acquiesce in this decree of the Democratic Caucus.” Threats were subsequently made to disqualify Plumer because of his supposed agnosticism, and he was subjected to increasingly violent attacks upon his apostasy in religion as well as in politics, sprinkled liberally with hints upon the subject of usury.4

Plumer was also the object of an intra-party intrigue which he chose to ignore. Some of the older Republicans could not forget the savage blows he had dealt them when he was on the other side, and many of the younger ones resented his stepping in to reap where they had sown. Early in the winter, a plot to replace Plumer with Nicholas Gilman was set on foot, supported chiefly by old Nathaniel Peabody and the restless Bartlett brothers.5 They believed that Senator Gilman could be elected if the papers would support him. In any case, wrote Levi Bartlett, he and “other consistent republicans [would] give their votes for a man of principle.”6

Publicly, however, Plumer was supported with flattery that compensated for the rough treatment he received in the Federalist press.7 The Republicans, in fact, displayed more visible unanimity in supporting their new candidate than did the Federalists in choosing between their old ones. Smith had failed in two successive elections, and the older Federalists demanded the return of their popular favorite, John Taylor Gilman.8 For a time, the confused party press endorsed both men, but a rumor that Smith had indignantly refused the nomination when he learned that Plumer was to be his opponent soon gained currency.

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