e esteemed far gone, had he reached the climax
of vulgarity which distinguishes the _citizen_ and his _book_.

But says the _book_ in another place, "the manners of Mr. Bunce are
_coarse and vulgar_." I suppose an immediate allusion is here intended
to the _manner_ in which he treated _Stillwell_ and _Thompson's_
supercilious proposition to agree to print their famous history of the
McBain Meeting, without reading it, under penalty of losing the first
Judge's patronage in case of a refusal. Perhaps they mean that he did
not on that occasion, turn out his toes exactly as he ought; or make a
becoming bow to so much mock consequence as surrounded them. I know not
in what language to describe their notions. We have already admitted
that Mr. Bunce does not pretend to vie in _purity_ of dialect with the
certificate of Mr. Elias Benedict. Suppose we also admit that he cannot
hold competition with Roe as a profound _linguist_--with Mr. Thompson
in _fairness_, _high mindedness_, _openness_ and _candor_--nor with Mr.
Linnendoll in belleslettres--and that he would not make so good a
_dancing master_ as Mr James Merrill[6] and leave the public to judge
whether coming short of these qualifications, he can be any way
tolerable in his person or polished in his conversation.

But 'tis said again, that he has presented some of our citizens "in the
ludicrous attitude of being in chase of one of the wheels of a
_political hack_." This plain farmer-like simile has given great
offence, and perhaps justly, to the high and refined notions of certain
book gentry; who have been too much in the habit of _hunting_ an
_office_, or _chasing_ a _dollar_, to believe that the idea of so
ordinary an occupation, could ever have been connected with that of
such _great men_ as themselves.

It may not be amiss to here remark, that Mr. Bunce was admitted an
Attorney of the Supreme Court in 1804; he settled in the village of
Salina in the county of Onondaga; shortly afterwards it was made a post
town, and he was appointed Post-Master[7] by the general government,
and continued in that office until he removed from that place. Soon
after his removal to Bridgewater, Oneida County, he was appointed
Post-Master at that place, and continued in that office until he
resigned on his removal to the county of Saratoga. During his residence
in the Western District, he attended with industry and fidelity to the
profession in which he was educated.

Soon after the dec