Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-04-14
Tuesday, April ii, 1885.
FaccmCn and Fcllor- Citizens:


and every one Of you, TO ATTEND THE
POLLS TOMORROW; and rally your whole
strength, in support ofthc Wing Prox-'
list Of worthless, all good and true pa
triots. For the crisis is alarming, and
the danger is imminent, that our glor
Gus Constitution and our free institutions
may all be overhrown, and our Liberties
be buried under their ruins. Already
Executive Power has made frightful
strides towards absolute despotism; and
it would be less strange that this detes-
table work should be completed, and our
system Of liberty be destroyed, than that
the free people OF this country, (whosc
fathers achieved its freedom, and with
it the hope Of freedom to the world
should have permitted the work to be
begun, and to be carried forward thus
far. But it is, alas! melancholy truth,
that the People Of this country have lost,
or are fast losing, that spirit of freedom
which animated their fathers. That
spirit was jealous Of the most distant ap-
proaches Of Tyranny, and met them in
advance. They stood upon the confines
of their rights, and welding in their
hands the sword Of freedom, they said to
the advancing Tyrant-"here shall thy
proud attempt upon our liberties be stay
ed, or here we perish in their defence.
What contrast to the spirit Of the pre-
sent day! The Tyranny is not now ap-
preaching, it is upon us, tramrling upon
our Constitution, and treading down our
liberties. Yet how many of our People.
dead to the spirit Of freedom and recre-
ant to her cause-wo SEQ not only
crouching to that Tyranny, but uniting
with it; Strengthening itshands with their
own, and making it the Idol of their wor-
ship. Oh, if this had been the spirit of
the revolution, and the Tories then had
out numbered the Wings, as there are
fears they now may, how different
would have been the result! We should
now read in history Of the rebellion of
our Fathers; and of Its timely suppress
sion, by the King of Great Britain, aided
by his faithful SUBJ in the Colonies
God grant that such page may not be
read by our children, of their Fathers,
the present generation, to tell them that
in those days an Usurper arose and aid
ed by the Tories Of the times, the pa
irons and partizans Of his usurpation,
imposed that Despotism upon our coun-
try which we, their descendants, now
suffer, and are DOOMED to bear.
You, the Wings of Rhode Island, ye
who read and reflect, who have been at
tentive to the times and their passing
events, you all know that what has now
been said, as TO the encroachmen Of
Executive Power upon the Constitution
and constitutional rights of the country,
has not been said without foundation,
nor without the fullest warrant from the
fact. You know, also, that the dangers
said to be impending over us, are not
imaginary, but that they are as real and
great as they have been represented 10
be- If any Of you, engrossed by your
private concerns, have not attended to
those which arc public, but in which your
own and peculiar are necessarily and
deeply involved, still the cry of danger
by your friends ought to bring you to the
polls; that the course ofprudence and
safety to you. IL the danger be real,
your aid may avert il and save YOU
country; If the alarm be false one
your attendance there can do you nc
harm. But your alarm will not be q
false one; would TO God you could fin,
il so!
With this knowledge, at this crisis, ,an'
with serious cry Of danger, can yo,
excuse 10 yourselves, neglect Of thi
duty? Will you not all say TO the las
man nmong you-"Lct the Tories do a
they will, but as FOR us and our house
hold, our whole house hold, we will serv
the cause Of freedom and worship q: he