The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-01-14

question:
Never within recollection have the accounts
of the severe cold weather, prevailing for many
days in succession and in many different places,
in every point of the compass reached us in such
numbers during the last fifteen days The ques-
ton seems to have been not how high the thermom-
eter ranged, but how low. One account informs us
ofits being ten another twenty third thirty, fourth
forty, and fifth tit almost gives an ague fit to
think of it) forty-two degrees below Only
think of it, seventy-four degrees below the freezing
point. Fortunately it happened in part of the
country where wood and coal were plenty, or there
would not have been left tongue timber enough to
have told the tale. With in good old Newport
we have had comparatively speaking, summer wealth
er. Our thermometers have been more charitable.
They rarely fell to more than four or five below
zero and have not been at any time lower than six.
This being the case we have reason to expect that
Newport will by and by become a refuge from the
blasts of winter it has already from the heats of
summer. At any rate, the weather beaten and frost
bitten mariner has long found out that the har-
Dor of Newport gives cordial welcome to his shatter
ed ship and exhausted crew. when all others in the
vicinity forbid his entrance. During the whole sea-
son thus far, harbor both outer and inner has as
usual been entirely free to the ingress and egress of
vessels OF every description and at this time cOnn-
ues Can New-York, or Boston, or Portsmouth,
or Philadelphia, Washington say as muchl Yet
these are the places where wise Legislators have
fit establish their dry docks, their navy yards
and other accommodations for ships. They do not
81, a.. ..l..
great commercial nations. They do not think of
dragging line of battle ships sixty hundred miles
thrOugh the mud and ice to London or Paris mere
ly because they happen to be great cities the
tropolis, "a sage rulers do up the Potomac and
the Delaware. No, Plymouth and Portsmouth in
England and Brest and Toulon in France bear witt
ness that for naval stations, natural advantages are
and have been considered of the first importance
How long are the extraordinary advantages of our
bay and harbor to be neglected. Is there no mag
nanimity no patriotism in this Republic' Are mil
lions of money to be squandered upon the mud flats
of New York, Philadelphia and Washington for the
purpose of procuring those naval accommodation:
which here already provided by nature Is ont
of the finest harbors this continent in the worlo
ed to be overlooked merely because it happens to b
within the limits of little state Are the interest
of this great nation to be not only tritied with, bu
wantonly sacrificed, because Rhode Island possesse
but two votes in the House of Representatives.
gain and again have the merits of the question beer
discussed and decided in our favor but again ant
again has some sinister policy of the government
prevailed deprive poor old Newport of that boon
which every disntercsed and unprejudiced min,
was ready admit to be her due, if our rulers wou
only keep their eye steadily fixed upon the true in
, terest of our whole country.