had trounced the "rebels." Apparently this was too much for the patriots and there ended Mr. Gaine's double venture, and from that time he devoted his talents entirely to the British cause and his New York paper.[1]
When the war ended Gaines, unabashed, petitioned the Legislature to be allowed to remain in the city, which he was permitted to do. Philip Freneau gave Gaine national fame by ridiculing him in verse, a sample of which, explaining why he deserted the Americans, follows:
"As matters have gone, it was plainly a blunder,
But then I expected the Whigs must knock under,
But I always adhere to the sword that is longest.
And stick to the party that's like to be strongest:
That you have succeeded is merely a chance,
I never once dreamed of the conduct of France!
If alliance with her you were promised—at least
You ought to have showed me your star of the East,
Not let me go off uninformed as a beast.
When your army I saw without stockings or shoes.
Or victuals or money—to pay them their dues.
Excepting your wretched congressional paper.
That stunk in my nose like the snuff of a taper," etc.
But Gaine was hot daunted. He stayed along and, on July 23, 1788, when New York celebrated the adoption of the Constitution, he was one of the marshals of the great parade!
After the desertion of Gaine during the campaign in New Jersey, the necessity for answering the attacks and the ridicule of James Rivington's Royal Gazette, led Governor William Livingston of New Jersey to aid Isaac Collins in establishing the New Jersey Gazette at Burlington. This paper, like some of the other patriotic journals, was obliged to move from town to town when
- ↑ New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury, September 21st to November 2nd, 1776, Nos. 1301 to 1307. This file of the Newark issue is in the New York Public Library.
