1809.074: Address of William McKinley to Ohio County Federalist Caucus.
Published: 1809
Full Title: To Charles Hamand [sic], Noah Zane, and Geo. Miller, Esqs. Wheeling, (Va.) West Liberty, August 12th, 1809. Sirs, For a considerable time after the appearance of your handbill dated the 3rd of April last, I was fully determined to institute suits against you for slander; but on cool reflection, and mature deliberation, I became convinced that such was not the method best calculated to expose your errors and misrepresentations; this is the principal reason why you have not heard from me sooner. … You and your puppets may call me traitor, insurgent, foreigner, and threaten me with cowhides, etc. but taking truth for my guide, I am determined in my own way to do what appears to be my duty, Wm. McKinley
Author: McKinley, William.
Place Issued: Wheeling
Issuing Press: Uncertain
Description: 1 sheet [1 pg.]; 37 cm. x 29 cm. (broadside. printed in four columns).
Notes
McKinley responds to a handbill circulated by Charles Hammond, Noah Zane, and George Miller that attacked his character after they claimed he had published a similar handbill that reported their connection with the Aaron Burr conspiracy of the summer of 1806, as well as their open support for foreign policy initiatives that favored Great Britain (1809.073). Sheet lacks colophon; both Swem and Hummel ascribe this to a Wheeling press, which would make this a title issued by Alexander Armstrong, then the only printer there; however, it is more than possible that this broadside issued from the Pittsburgh press of Ephraim Pentland, as was the case with an earlier Republican handbill, carrying a Wheeling dateline and signed by McKinley, among others, in support of Congressman John G. Jackson's reelection that year (1809.072); hence, this item is recorded in this Index to conform with Swem and Hummel, though with some uncertainty as to its origin.