Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-06-26

On presenting the Resolutions Of The House
Of Representatives. Of The Stale of Rhode
Island
These resolutions come from the repre-
sentatives Of the people OF Rhode Island;
people illustrious throughout their his
tory, from the purchase and settlement OF
their country, down TO the present day,
for their devotion to liberty, both civil
and religious. AT time when the whole
world OF christendo held religious in
tolerance, Of what was deemed to be
heresy, to be christian duty; and when
that duty was every where enforced by
the civil arm and the penal code, that
people had the novel merit Of establish
ing for themselves religious liberty; they
began with it; they founded their civil
polity upon it; they made it chartered
right 1t was called in their charter an
experiment, as being new and untrled
thing in the then christian world. Though
the banners of religious toleration, for
the protection Of religious liberty, have
since been displayed elsewhere, and al
most every where else, more or less, It
was in Rhode-Island where they were
first displayed 10 the christian world
There that sacred liberty first plumed
her infant and new born wings; and
there she still spreads them over that
people. There, though sects abound,
and each has its own bond of Union, and
own mode of worship, yet all are on
footing Of perfect equality and all live
! in harmony with all. Sectarian creed
has no connexion there with State poli-
tics, and never has been known to enter
into their party and political con;ests.-'
/ No sect there has ever acted as politi-
| cal party. To be Of this creed, or Of
| that creed in religion, is neve. mention
ed there as a recommendation OF, or an
OBJ ection to candidate for public ap-
pointment; it is only his moral or his ci-
! vii merits that are ever canvassed by the
electors. For religion is there held to
be the communion of the spirit with that
great Being who is the father ofsp;rits; to
be personal concern between the con-
science and its God; in which the magis
trate has no right to intermeddle, and Of
which no other individual has right to
make himself the Judge or censor.
b, As to civil liberty, they prize it as the
: parent and nurse OF all the manly virtues,
as the source and the guarantee of all
the means of improving and perfecting
> the social condition of man. There its
: spirit burns; its elevating sentiment, and
e its chivalrous bearing have ever marked
e their history. Though another place
has been denominated the cradle ofliber-
:, ty, yet what has been received as the first
:. overt act of the Revolutionary war,
r namely, the destruction of the teas in
b Boston, was anticipated by the burning
:, of the Gaspee in the waters of Nara
IF gansett Bay. Prompt at the call and in
the cause of freedom, Rhode--lsand
, poured out, like water, both her blood
and her treasure, to maintain the Revo-
Iutionary struggle. OF all the States
she was the largest creditor to the Un
ion, in proportion to her territory an'
population; fact attcsted by the fina
settlement of her accounts with the Un
ion. Her Hopkins and her Ellery
IA whose names you see appended to th'
Declaration of Independence, were no
y, more examples, though great examples
n, than heralds Of the high and arden. spir
il which animated her people to the con
u test. With her well appointed and gal
& liant bands, she sent forth her Greene tt
-IIfight the battles Of freedom-a name Sc
Id cond only to that of Washington in th'
e rolls of Revolutionary fame. As after
wards, in the second war Of lndepen
~ y dence, as it has been called, she sen
- forth her Perry to crown the glories o
k that war, by his heroic achievement o'
Lake Erie; displaying there the same
I'll superiority in battle, Of feet against fleet
,;s is as was displayed on the ocean OF ship a
gainst ship, by our gallant navy.
= The youthful, the amiable, the heroi
but the hapless Perry To be extin
ID guished in the bloom Of life and OF fame
!, ,e and Of such fame! 1t is as if a new Dor
n, m star, Just risen above the horizon in tn
te heavens, and beginning to shed its gle
mt ries on the earth, had suddenly starte
ne from its sphere, and disappeared iore'
pc er-lost to the world.
70 Who could believe that such people
when, as at the present crisis, the que'
ton is between the Constitution and tn
laws, (Which are but another name fo
liberty J on the one side, and arbitrar
power, as claimed by the Executive, o
70 the other; that such people could al
raw themselves on the side Of the latte,
and rally to the standard Of despotisu
though unfurled by the Hero Of Ne
Orleans, or by thousand heroes Of Ne
Orleans. Knowing this people as ! die
a knew this to be impossible. Hence, E,
s' told the honorable gentleman from Geo
IL pia, (Mr. Forsyth when on late occ'