William Cobbett: A Biography in Two Volumes, Vol. 1Smith, Edward
History
William Cobbett: A Biography in Two Volumes, Vol. 1
Smith, Edward
Cobbett, William 1763-1835
“I thought my situation somewhat perilous. Such truths as I
had published, no man had dared to utter in the United States
since the rebellion. I knew that these truths had mortally
offended the leading men amongst the Democrats, who could, at
any time, muster a mob quite sufficient to destroy my house,
and to murder me. I had not a friend to whom I could look
with any reasonable hope of receiving efficient support; and
as to the law, I had seen too much of republican justice to
expect anything but persecution from that quarter. In short,
there were in Philadelphia about ten thousand persons, all of
whom would have rejoiced to see me murdered; and there might
probably be two thousand who would have been very sorry for it;
but not above fifty of whom would have stirred an inch to save
me.
“I saw the danger, but also saw that I must at once set all
danger at defiance, or live in everlasting subjection to the
prejudices and caprice of the democratical mob. I resolved on
the former, and as my shop was to open on a Monday morning, I
employed myself all day on Sunday in preparing an exhibition
that I thought would put the courage and the power of my
enemies to the test. I put up in my windows, which were very
large, all the portraits that I had in my possession of kings,
queens, princes, and nobles. I had all the English ministry,
several of the bishops and judges, the most famous admirals,
and, in short, every picture that I thought likely to excite
rage in the enemies of Great Britain.
“Early on the Monday morning I took down my shutters. Such a
sight had not been seen in Philadelphia for twenty years. Never
since the beginning of the rebellion had any one dared to hoist
at his window the portrait of George the Third.…
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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