Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 1

[54] of ‘A. O. B.,’ Lloyd wrote nothing for the Herald during the next year. In June, 1824, however, he was moved by the publication of Timothy Pickering's “Review of John Adams's Letters to William Cunningham,” to send two long communications to the Salem Gazette, under the¹ signature of ‘Aristides.’ These were highly eulogistic of Mr. Pickering, whose pamphlet in defence of himself against the attacks of Mr. Adams had caused a wide sensation and led to an acrimonious war of words between the partisans of those eminent statesmen. Walsh's National Gazette of Philadelphia was the mouth-piece of the Adams party, while the Salem Gazette was understood to speak by authority for Mr. Pickering; and such was the interest in the discussion that raged for a time, that the letters of the Newburyport apprentice attracted much notice, and were believed to have come from a maturer hand. The controversy had an indirect bearing on the impending Presidential election, in which John Quincy Adams was a candidate, and the Pickering party aimed their darts at the son, therefore, quite as much as at the father. The youthful ‘Aristides,’ who, four years later, ardently advocated his reelection, now joined in decrying him. His conception of the character of General Andrew Jackson was much more clear and accurate, and his next contribution to the Gazette was an open letter to² that military chieftain, endeavoring to convince him of his utter unfitness for the office of President, and the hopelessness of his efforts to gain that position. This letter was forcible, dignified, and mature in thought and expression.

His remaining contributions to the Gazette were a³ series of six articles entitled ‘The Crisis,’ which appeared at intervals between the beginning of August and end of October, and discussed the political situation. The importance of united action on the part of the Federalists, now so largely in the minority, was emphasized, and their support of William H. Crawford for the Presidency in opposition to John Quincy Adams was