Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-04-07

speaks Of them as "birds of passage, }
"moving plagets" as devoid both O
patriotism and of local attachments a
men without home, ,Fwho hang on 80
ciety as incumbrances and he Ina,
placed them in humiliatmg contrast will
the cultivators Of the soil, to which clas
ne complacently tells us he belongs.
II Sir, there are none who cherish
more sincere respect for the yeomanr,
1.-THE farmers of Massachusetts. thai
myself know their ,.xorth-I kno,
their virtues-f would give them thei
full share of civil and political privileges
but l would give them no more, and if
understand their feelings, they would
ask no more. l am certain that thew
would never contend for more than an
equality of privileges, and believe them
to be the last who would undertake to
wrest from their neighbors one title OF
their right.
The gentleman from Leicester has
called up his revolutionary reminisc nses,
and has told us of his personal knowl-
edge Of the patriots and heroes who
composed the glorious band of revolu-
tionary chiefs, the men who were enga-
ged in the noblest enterprise of modern
times. But, sir, l can tell that gentle
man that it is not amongst the green hills
of the county of Worcester that he can
look for those daring spirits who gave
the first impulse which resulted in that
mighty event. In two little rooms in this
city were assembled the men who de-
vised the project of emancipating a ma
tion-the pioneers of the American rev.
Olution were the Mechanics of Boston.
In their meetings they deliberated on the
highest objects of human concernment-
a nations rights, and having ascertained
the strength of the foundation, they had
no dread of the issue, and courted the
conflict. l can transport the gentleman
to another place-the Carpenters Hall
in the city Of Philadelphia. In that
place, on day memorable in our annals,
the fourth day of July, 1776, a deed was
done which has no parallel. On that
day, in that place, was assembled the
most august political body that ever de-
liberated on nations destiny. Five
men had been selected as the elite of that
assembly ; the greatest among the great
to prepare the manifesto of nations
rights-of nations wrongs. Amongst
them was man by the name of Benia-
min Franklin (the gentleman from Lie
ccster in his multifarious reading may
have read of him y man mighty among
the sons of men, who by common con-
sent stood at the head of the philosophers
of America and of Europe, whose deep
investigation into the secrets of nature
had given him the knowledge of her
subtlest, most mysterious, most trcmen-
dous, most destructive agent, which he
disamed of its power. Yes, Sir, he
played with the forked lightnings as
with a tanned snake, and yet the elc-
ments of that marvellous wisdom which
enlightened and astonishcd the world
were gathered in Printers Office, and
this great man was Printer.
There was another not the inferior of
Franklin in sagacity, his superior in
sound practical knowledge of politics.
A man whose opinions were the essence
of strong common sense, the results ofthc
united action of clear head and an hon
est heart. The name of this man was
Roger Sherman (the gentleman from
has heard of him. This Roger
Sherman wrought at the trade of Il shoe
maker many years after he had reached
he age of maturity.
There was yet another, not me-
chanic himself, but the son of me-
chanic, and bred in the family of a me-
;hanic. will now take the gentleman
rom the room where the statesmen OF
America assembled, to that in which the
of America assembled. In
he chair of the last, he once would
rave seenDarid Rihenhouse, n watch
maker, one of the greatest astronomers
md mathcmaticians of the age.
| will take the gentleman little |