gainst the editor of the "Chenango
Telegraph." The leading Whig newspapers naturally took the side of their
associates. For a time they had a good deal to say about the greatest
slanderer of the whole profession pouncing upon one of the fraternity
least able to defend himself, simply because in a moment of haste and
excitement he had been guilty of what they were pleased to call (p. 187)
a technical libel. It did not seem to occur to them, that any one
could be so foolhardy as to make them the object of attack. They did not
have to wait long to discover that the influence wielded by a journal
was no protection. Besides the newspapers already mentioned, Cooper
prosecuted the "Oneida Whig," published at Utica. This suit was tried in
April, 1842. Though successful in it, the damages awarded were slight,
being but seventy dollars. A suit, tried little more than six months
before against the "Evening Signal," of New York city, edited by Park
Benjamin, had resulted in the recovery of a larger sum. The amount in
this case was three hundred and seventy-five dollars. With these
exceptions his suits were directed against the "Courier and Enquirer,"
edited by James Watson Webb; "the Albany Evening Journal," edited by
Thurlow Weed; the "Tribune," edited by Horace Greeley, and the
"Commercial Advertiser," edited by William Leet Stone. These were the
leading Whig journals in the state, and among the most influential in
the whole country. It could not be said that Cooper hesitated about
flying at high game.

In the controversy with Webb, Cooper had the least success. This was
partly due to the fact that it was not a civil action that was brought
against the former, but a criminal indictment. Juries might make editors
pay for the privilege of expressing their feelings of contempt or hate,
but they were not inclined to send them to prison. The indictment in
this case was based upon a criticism of "Home as Found." The review,
which was of several columns in length, had appeared in the "Courier and
Enquirer" of November 22, 1838. There was very little in the way of
hostile insinuation and assertion and personal depreciation that (p. 188)
could not be found in this article and in some which followed. The
attack was moreover a skillful one. It was directed largely against
those points where Cooper had fairly laid himself open to ridicule.
Especially was this the case in the matter of descent and family. Webb
represented the novelist as