Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-08-20
TO THE WHlGS OF RHoDE-IsLANI

You, doubtless, are aware, that in the bat
tie to be fought on the 25th Of this month,
you are to decide three important elections ::
that of your Representatives to Congress; vir-
tually, that of your Electors in November,
1886; and, virtually, that Of your Legislature
in April next. Virtually, | say, for if you
lose the election of your Representatives to
Congress (which can only happen by your
ncglecting to come out in your whole strength
united,) there will be no rational hope re-
naming as to those other elections. For if
you will not now put forth your whole
strength united, when your motives to effort
are SO urgent upon you; when you have so
much at stake, both Immediately and prospec-
lively when your voice in the choice Of the
President of the United States is depending,
us undoubtedly it now is; when the destinies
OF the United States-when the destnies of
this State, and especially the destines Of
your cause in this State are depending-if
now you will not put forth your whole
strength united, with all these inducements
to call it forth, and you thereby lose this cleo
tion-who will be so foolish as to expect Of
you in any after election more effort with
less motive to make it-indced, with scarce
a motive to make it?
Our cause at this critical moment will not
bear that one Whig voter should be absent
from the polls who can attend; nor will it
bear that one Wing vote, at the polls, should
be withheld from either of our candidates.
Only partial success to our ticket, will be as
bad in its consequences as total defeat. If
only one Of the two be elected, the vote of
the State will be neutralzed in the House of
Representatives, in all test. questions, as they
are called; it will be lost in the great Prcsi-
dental question, where her voice by the
Constitution should be as potent as that of
the greatest State in the Union.
Let me remark here, by the by, that the
Baltimore Convention, in their address to the
Jackson party, denounces this provision of
the Constitution, which gives and guarantees
to this State this equality in the choice Of a
President by the House Of Representatives.
dcnounces it as 'the great defect of the Con-
stitution," 'as the Pandora box Of the whole
systcm;" and they urge most strenuously a
change of the Constitution, by which this
State shall be disfranchised of this equality.
The Jackson party in this State acquicsce in
this project they acquiesce by their silencei
they say not a word against it;--indeed, they
M thau WI ri
and parcel of this Convention they went
with majority Of that body they have pas
sed resolutions approving the doings Of that
body; they have organized to support the
doings of that body they have nominated
candidates to Congress with this view; and
when that amendment to the Constitution is
brought forward which is to disfranchise this
State of this equality, those candidates, il
elected, will go for this project. If the Jack.
son men here did not 60 for this project and
this degradation of their own State, they
would break from the Jackson party and say
to them, "quit this thing, or we quit YOU
This is one, among thousand proofs, that
with Jackson men the Jackson party is every
thing, and their country nothing-even their
own Stote nothing.
When the Wing compares and contrasts
his cause with that of the Tory, how is it pos.
rble for him to be Indifferent md neutral ir
his cause--cspccially when he sees the Tory
jealous and active in his--to be less indus
trous to serve and to save the Republic, thar
the Tory is to subvert and to destroy it? Tho
question and the contest between them is
whether the Constitution shall control the
Executive, or the Executive shall control The
Constitution. The Wing is for the rcigI
of the Constitution, the Tory is for the despo
iism of the Executive. True, the Tory does
not confess the dcspotisn, and defend it al
despo,ism-for such undisguised servilty to
arbitrary power would be too revolving; but
though he does not confess the despotism, ho
does not deny the facts which make it despo.
,ism. lie docs not deny that Jackson claims
and exercises dispensing power over the
laws, under the pretext that he is TO execute
the Constitution as he understands IL; for thi'
fact cannot be denied, for both the claim anC
the exercise Of this dispensing power arr
matters Of official record. Though all man
kind heretofore have thought, and held tbi'
dispensing power to be, the very stuff and es
ssnes OF dsspotism, the Jackson Tory here