" 'My name is Bunce.'

" 'Not Horatio Bunce?'

" 'Yes.’

" 'Well, Mr. Bunce, I never saw you before, though you say you have seen me, but I know you very well. I am glad I have met you, and very proud that I may hope to have you for my friend.'

"It was one of the luckiest hits of my life that I met him. He mingled but little with the public, but was widely known for his remarkable intelligence and incorruptible integrity, and for a heart brimful and running over with kindness and benevolence, which showed themselves not only in words but in acts. He was the oracle of the whole country around him, and his fame had extended far beyond the circle of his immediate acquaintance. Though I had never met him, before, I had heard much of him, and but for this meeting it is very likely I should have had opposition, and had been beaten. One thing is very certain, no man could now stand up in that district under such a vote."

-- Attributed to Colonel David Crockett
Description of character
From the complete story, it's learned that Horatio Bunce was a prosperous farmer in an otherwise poor section of Crockett's district. He was described as deeply religious, and it was said that he conducted morning and evening services for his wife and several young children. He was at least wealthy enough to provide a barbecue for 1,000 citizens who came to hear Crockett speak, and was able to decline Crockett's offer to pay the expenses of that. He was what would be thought of as a believer in Strict Constructionism of the United States Constitution, in that he believed powers not specifically given to the United States Congress were reserved to the States and the People. For this reason, he and the story of his interaction with Davy Crocket get regular mentions amongst libertarians and conservatives.
No other sources of information about Horatio Bunce exist.
Mythical nature
All data on Horatio Bunce comes from the story as told by Edward S. Ellis, who had originally published it in a January 1867 article in Harper's Magazine, before incorporating it into a later edition of his book, The Life of Colonel David Crockett. It has been pointed out by the Tennessee Historical Society that there are several flaws in the story, not the least that there was no fire in Georgetown, it was in Alexandria. The appropriations for the Alexandria fire was before Crockett had served his first term, so no constituent could have taken him to task for any vote on that. There is no incident bearing any resemblence to a fire in Georgetown or elsewhere that a constituent could have rebuked Davy Crockett for.
There was also no appropriation bill for any Naval widow. There was a case of a General's widow, and Crockett did vote against that appropriation, but he did not speak to it, and the measure passed anyway. Davy Crockett was known to vote for some appropriations of charity, deciding such on a case by case basis.
The "Not Yours To Give" speech was said to have been made several years before Edward Ellis was born, so he could not have heard it from Davy Crockett as was originally claimed in the Harper's Magazine article. Here is the quote from Edward Ellis's article in Harper's Magazine:
:"Crockett was then the lion of Washington. I was a great admirer of his character, and having several friends who were intimate with him, I found no difficulty in making his acquaintance. I was fascinated with him, and he seemed to take a fancy to me."
Edward S. Ellis was born April 11, 1840. Davy Crockett had died at the Alamo March 6, 1836, or over four years before the author's birth. The two could not have met. Edward Ellis did not include this story in the first edition of his book, and when he added it to a later edition, it was edited to appear that he had heard the story from another, rather than hearing it first hand as originally claimed.
The word "Bunce" has its origins in the early 18th century, and has two principle and related meanings. "a London cockney slang term indicating a bribe" and "a term of accounting slang, relating to an excess or unnecessary financial provision. Other sources give the meanings "a sudden unexpected piece of good fortune." and "a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)".
"Horatio" was the first name of a popular author (Horatio Alger) who was contemporary with Edward Ellis, who wrote similar dime novels, and was a major contributor to Harper's Magazine. Horatio Alger was best known for his stories about poor boys who made good, usually by having a benefactor surprise them with an unexpected reward out of sympathy for their circumstance, or admiration of their efforts to lift themselves up. A non-profit charity for awarding scholarships exists in his name.
The name then, of the man who was said to have inspired Davy Crockett to not vote largess on disadvantaged but deserving individuals was a combination of the first name of an author known to advocate just that in his stories, and a word that meant receiving such a gift.
=="Not Yours To Give"==
"Not Yours To Give" is the name of the speech that Davy Crockett allegedly made to oppose an appropriation of charity to the widow of a Naval officer. It was said to have been inspired by the education in Constitutional law he purportedly received from Horatio Bunce. In the story, US House Representative Davy Crockett met up with Horatio Bunce while back in Tennessee visiting his district. During this first meeting Bunce explained to Crockett that he did not intend to vote for him again on account of an unconstitutional bill for which Crockett had voted. After an enlightening exchange in which Bunce pointed out that the Constitution did not give Congress the power to award charity, Crockett saw the error of his ways and was a 'new man'.
Originally titled "Davy Crockett's Electioneering Tour" it was published in the January 1867 edition of Harper's Magazine by Edward Ellis under the pen name "J. Bethune". In that article, Ellis himself had heard the story directly from Davy Crockett. When Ellis incorporated the story in a later edition of The Life of Colonel David Crockett, it was claimed that an unnamed Congressman had related this story to the author.
The story achieved new life when it was referenced by the Foundation for Economic Education, who used it as an example of socialist type governmental spending. It has since enjoyed popularity in libertarian and conservative circles, even being satirized by some who update it to be the story of various modern politicians meeting Horatio Bunce. Such politicians are usually portrayed as not being receptive to the advice of Horatio Bunce.