Thurlow Weed & John F. Hubbard (Norwich, NY Journalists)

 Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, January 21, 1875

The Past & Present of Norwich

by S.S. Randall

Thurlow Weed & John F. Hubbard

These two veteran journalists, politicians and statesmen, commenced their public career in the village of Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] nearly sixty years ago [as of 1875], and within only about two years of each other.  Both are still lingering among us, the one in the City of New York and the other at Norwich - the venerable relics of a former age - in health, wealth, and happiness, surrounded by troops of friends, and in the full enjoyment of mental, and so far as may be compatible with a period of life verging on fourscore, physical vigor and activity.  Both, I am happy to say, were my own and my father's life-long friends, and in contributing this brief and necessarily imperfect sketch of their long and honored career, I but essay a "labor of love" in connection with the past and present annals of my native town.

Thurlow Weed was born in Cairo, Greene County, N.Y. on the 15th of November 1797, and is consequently now in the seventy-eighth year of his age.  In 1808 he removed, with his parents to the present town of Cincinnatus, Cortland Co., having been previously employed in Catskill, in 1806-7, first as a cook and cabin boy on board a sloop, and afterwards as printer's boy in the office of Macky Croswell.  During the winter succeeding his removal to Cincinnatus he was employed in an ashery in the neighborhood.  From that period until 1818 when he came to Norwich, in company with my father who had formed his acquaintance at Albany during the legislative session of that year and was desirous of assisting him in his business as a printer, he had been employed in various printing establishments in Onondaga Hollow, Utica, Herkimer, Auburn, Cazenovia, Sangersfield, New york and Albany.

In the winter and spring of 1813, he served six months as a volunteer private, in Capt. Ashbel Seward's company, then stationed at Adams, Jefferson Co., subsequently for three months in the same capacity in Oneida Co. with Lieut. Ellis company of artillery, Col. Arunah Metcalf's regiment, and finally in 1814, at Sackett's Harbor, two months a Quarter Master Sargent in the regiment of Col. Myers of Herkimer.  At this time, let it be borne in mind he was only a youth of sixteen.

The establishment of the "Republican Agriculturalist" at Norwich, in December 1818 to the interest of the Clintonian party was the result of a failure to secure the purchase from Mr. Hubbard of the "Journal," the local organ of the Republican of "Bucktail" party, whose candidate against Mr. Clinton was the ex-Vice President Tompkins.  This failure and its causes originated a sharp and spicy controversy, carried on for several months in the columns of the respective papers, with signal ability on both sides.  Hard blows were exchanged by these formidable champions, resulting in a substantial victory for the "Journal," and necessitating the abandonment of the "Agriculturalist" within a brief period after the election of Mr. Clinton in 1820.  From this point it is unnecessary for the purposes of this brief sketch to follow the fortunes, political or person of Mr. Weed, as in 1821 he ceased to become a citizen of Norwich, and only re-visited it in the summer of 1873, when he was cordially greeted by all his old friends, and by none with a warmer welcome, than by his opponent of fifty years previous, the veteran ex-editor of the "Journal."

In the spring of 1818, and before, or concurrently with his arrival at Norwich, he had married Miss Catharine Ostrander of Cooperstown, one of the best and noblest of women whose death occurred during his residence at Albany.

My first introduction to him, was by my father, soon after his arrival with him in the winter or spring of 1818.  Our acquaintance was renewed during the winter of 1835 at Albany and has continued without intermission, to the present time.  During the height of his political power and influence in 1840-50, the son of his old friend was not forgotten, and has never ceased to be grateful for the kind hand stretched out to him in the great political revolution which swept over the State in the former year, threatening to engulf the small bark of his fortunes.  His respectable mansion was ever open, and his potent influence ever available for counsel, advice and assistance in every difficulty or perplexity.

While residing in Norwich, Mr. Weed occupied for a short time a small and somewhat dilapidated house just above the old Uriah Avery dwelling on the west side of South Main Street and on the site of the present or late residence of Mrs. Bliven.  From thence he removed to the house now forming the rear portion of the "American Hotel" previously occupied by my father and there remained until he left the village.  His printing office, the office of the "Agriculturalist" was directly opposite.

It was while dwelling in the house thus occupied by Mr. Weed in 1819-20, that some two or three years previous, in 1816-17 I frequently saw John F. Hubbard then in the early morning of life, and the prime of personal grace and strength.  He was a frequent visitor of my father's and his personal as well as political friend, during his entire life, I can well recollect, although but a youth at the time, the pleasant and delightful evening gatherings when politics, literature and the local gossip of the day were discussed, when Chapman, York, Hubbard, Birdsall and a bevy of fair damsels made the hours pass but too rapidly.

Mr. Hubbard soon after this was united in marriage with the daughter of Gen. Thompson Mead, and took up his residence with his father-in-law, immediately north of the "Journal" office, on the east side of North Main Street, and a few rods south of the office of Dr. Henry Mitchell.  Here he continued to conduct the Journal as a Republican and Democrat organ from its establishment in 1816, as the successor of John B. Johnosn's "Volunteer" until 1844, a period of nearly thirty years, when it became merged in the Chenango Union.  As a political writer, Mr. Hubbard was bold, trenchant and fearless.  As the triumphant advocate in the State Senate, during eight years of the material interests of his district, and especially of the Chenango Canal, he entitled himself to the lasting gratitude of his constituents and in his well-earned retirement to the shades of private life, and the enjoyment of the social and domestic circle, can look back upon the formidable contests with "foes worthy of his steel"  such trained and experienced warriors as Col. Young, Silas Wright, Azariah C. Flagg and others with whom he was forced to measure swords on the canal question, with a just pride and gratification.

Mr. Hubbard was gifted with a fine literary taste, and was early familiar with the great dramatists, poets and essayists of the Golden Ages of England, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Addison, Steele, Swift, Dryden, Pope, Milton, and "the rest" were his inseparable companions, and at a later period he had mastered the varied music of Burns, Scott, Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Campbell, Rogers and Moore.  The "Waverley" Novels, and those of Bulwer, in rapid succession were greedily devoured and thoroughly appreciated. Few men of the period excelled him in devotion to the great classics of ancient and modern literature.

It is pleasant, after an interval of more than half a century to call up the recollection of these two now distinguished men, as they appeared and were, in the bright early morning of their lives, even then displaying the genius of those qualities afterwards so strongly marked.  Here, within the obscure and restricted area of a little country village, were laid the foundations of those energies, talents, and political skill and fence, which on a larger scale, that of the Empire State, was destined to work out those "bloodless revolutions" which overthrew the dynasties of veteran statesmen, penetrated the remotest section of the common wealth, and affected the successions of Presidents, Cabinets, Representatives and Senators of the great American Republic!  Compare, for a moment the Thurlow Weed of the former period - poor, obscure, awkward, embarrassed, struggling for a bare existence, and wholly unequal to a hand-to-hand contest with the glittering falchion of his more favored opponent - with the "Dictator" of 1840, before whose unrivalled and skillful combinations the "Regency" of VanBuren, Wright, Flagg, Dix and Croswell - that mighty and most formidable power, whose slightest nod had for long years awed into implicit submission and obedience every daring and presumptuous rebel - had fallen never to rise again, the - "Dictator" who like another Warwick, made and unmade Governors, Secretaries, Comptrollers, Senators and Representatives, and whose powerful influence even yet, continues to be felt in the highest councils of the State and Nation.