14 



worship, in the time of service, by fastening an iron 

 chain across the street ; this he calls a decent regula- 

 tion, which perhaps no city in Britain can boast of: this 

 last remark of Grant's, like many others, is false. There 

 never was a law in New-York and never will be, to per- 

 mit the priests to barricade the public streets with chains. 

 I recollect some years ago, the mail coach was stopped 

 at Trinity Church by the chains; the sexton refused to 

 take the chains down, and the coachman was obliged to 

 drive the horses thro' them ; the trustees of the church 

 threatened to prosecute for what they deemed an of- 

 fence ; but they had to give the coachman twenty-five 

 dollars that he should not prosecute the trustees. I my- 

 self was certain there was no law to authorise the priests 

 to block up the public high way : about 15 or 16 years 

 ago I wrote a remonstrance against that high handed 

 power of despotism, and likewise had 300 bills posted 

 round the city at my own expense : the chains are down 

 and they dare not replace them. It was only a combi- 

 nation between the superstitious members of the then 

 Corporation, and priests. Some Sundays after a piece 

 of mine appeared, some of the chains were doubly lock- 

 ed with padlocks, so that the gilded coaches could not 

 be brought up for the nobles to get into them. 



The first time Grant brought me into the arena of 

 the public papers, I saw it in the New-York Gazette ; 

 I carried down a reply ; Mr. Lang who is a real gentle- 

 man, possessed of humane feelings, said, if this reply 

 is published you will ruin Grant for ever, 1 have pub- 

 lished things for you that was never contradicted, and 

 I know it is not your principle or feeling to ruin him 

 tht public will believe you, I will send for him and ttll 



