Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-04-10
TO TIE PEOPLE OF II. ISLAND.

Prov. jour.
TO TIE PEOPLE OF Il. ISLAND.
Fellow Citizens--The period for your
great political struggle approaches; Pc
riod at which you are to decide by your
sullrages, whether you will stand by and
sustain the charter of your rights, against
the tyranny and usurpation of an imperi-
Gus dictator, or willingly bow at the foot
of the throne, and quietly submit your
necks to calling yoke. The dangers
which surround you are not imaginary;
already hasyour constitution been tramp
led on by the foot of lawless power; al
ready has the man whom the people
have commissioned to act as their SER
want, assumed the prerogativcs Of mas
ter; and, as though he wore the crown,
filled the throne, and welded the sc'ep-
tire of sovereign and despotic prince,
taken to himself the absolute and unlm-
tied control of the most important public
affairs, by the dicta,ion Of his own arbi-
trary will, and on his own single GRE
sPoNsIBILITY." Are your dangers ina
ginary Fellow w-citizens-did a Caesar
do more than this when he passed the
Rubicon, in defiance Of the laws of his
country ? And what was that act, but
the preliminary step to trampling on the
Liberties of the Roman people, and ar
raging himself in the imperial purple e.?
No danger!- is there indeed no
danger, that a public officer, who has
successfully attempted one innovation on
the constitution to promote his own sin
lister views, spurred on by madness and
ambition, will not attempt a second Is
there no danger that a party Of men in
power, who have connived at a fragrant
abuse of official authority in the idol of
their devotion, and sustained him in a
preme ditated outrage on the liberties Of
the people, will stand ready to uphold
him in the practice Of further, and more
glaring abuses, and finally, to advance
their own selfish views, lend him their
assistance to rivet the letters on your
limbs? Depend upon it there is danger;
this moment the tempest thickens around
you, and threatens to burst in all its fury
OH your heads. And as certain as you
neg lect to obey the portentous summons,
it will sweep you away like chaf, and
leave scarcely a wreck behind. There
is now time to prepare for safety. There
is now time to redeem yourselves and
preserve your republican institutions; to
transmit them to posterity, as a sacred
legacy from their fathers, as you have
inherited them from yours. Neglect the
nt-disregard the sacred admoni-
ton, and you "fall like Luci(er"-to rise
no more.
Up, fellow ctizens--the moments are
DTeClOuS-dHu SnOuIu DC ucNOtcu W tuc
duties you owe your country. Marshal
your forces for the coming contest; and
speak with yorbre'hren throughout the
Union, through the medium ofthc ballot
box, in a voice that shall make the ge-
MUS of tyranny quake with fear. Let
your motto be "LIBERTY s. UNIoN"-
Let your inspiriiing war cry be lB-
ERTY & UNION;"-Let your suflra-
ccs be given for the friends of"LIBER-
TY & ION;"-Be vigilant-be ac-
tive, and you give the dca'h-blow, as far
rs our own State is concerned, to usur-
patton and misrue. And depend upon
il, your efforts will be seconded by your
sister States, and those dastardly spirits
which assail and oppress you, will be
brought to a fearful reckoning. Rally
around your acknowledgements your
forces--let no friend TO bis country be