Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-04-02
TO THE
Wings Of khOdc-IsIand !


portant to you all, as citizens of this State,
and Of tbs. United States, of any which you
have ever had; and calls for CORE spending ef-
forts. This is not said idly and for effect
but it is said because it is warranted by the
circumstances of danger in which we aud
our common country are placed; and because
these are such as ought to call into the ut
most exerton all our energies, and all our re-
sources, to carry the election; by which alone
that danger can be averted.
You love the union ofthe States-you love
the constitution by which the States are COM
bined into that Union-you love the institu.
tlons under it, as the Safeguards of our lib
critics, and by which alone they can be pre-
served; you love the prosperity Of our coun-
try, involved as it is in the developement of
all our resources, and the necessary means
by which that devolopement is to be made
Now all these precious interests-(of all
earthly objects the most precious, and which
ought to be the most dear to a free People
and to People determined to live in free
DOM are in danger Of being lost by the loss of
our election. Even its success may not pre-
vent their estruction-(such advances have
already been made towards the consumma-
,ion Of that object,) but it may have that desi-
rable effect; and the country is now rcposing
upon that hope.
The whole course Of the present admins
tration has been in one steady progress, to-
wards the establishment Of an absolute des-
potism on the ruins ofthis Republic. A des-
potism too, guided by notions as completely
destructive of the prosperity of the country,
in all its means, as Of her liberties in all their
securities. A foreign spotism-if this coun-
try were to be subjected by foreign
conquest, could not be more disastrous, than
this threatens to be IN all its aspects. Now
the Senate of the United States, az it has
been constituted, has been the only barrier
interposed to stay the progress, and retard
the consummation of this absolute despotism;
for the other House has lent itself willing
instrument to the Executive in this nefarious
work of destruction. Every stand which the
Senate has mude against the Executive, has
been made to prevent the accumulation of
unconstitutional power in his hands,-or the
gross abuse of his constitutional power. But
for their late memorable stand to preserve the
chances Of peace to this Country, this Coun-
try would now have been involved in all the
horrors Of foreign war-or be in imminent
danger Of being SO involved. Now on our
election depends the election of Senator,
and on the political character of that Sena-
tor, depends the question whether, that body
Is still to remain that barrier which it hithcr-
to has been to defend, and if possible to save
the Constitution and our liberties under it,
or whether that body, too, is to become the
willing instrument for establishing the i'm
pending despotsm on the ruins of our Re-
public.
DO you want proofs that the present ad-
minlstrntlon of our General Government, is
such as it is represented to be in these strc-
lures? so, you have been less attentive to
the whole tenor Of its conduct, from the be-
ginning down to the present time, than you
ought to have been, both in duty to your
country, and regard to yourselves, for in that
tenor, its true--its hideous character is dis
played in characters not at all cquiyocal, nor
in the least obscure.
That the claims ofpower by Gen. Jackson,
land what he has claimed, he has practically
asserted,) amount to absolute despotism, no
one can doubt who attends TO those powers
and their necessary consequences. will
specify few of them but these few enough
of themselves to include all power.
lst-lIe claims all power, which in its nu-
ture is erecmiue /; not merely the executive
powers enumerated in, and granted by the
all power whatever, which
in its nature is erec,aire, and he himself is to
be the arbiter to determine what power is in
its nature erecutiUe. He claims then all the
executive power which the Autocrat of all
the Russas,-or any Despot pre.ends to
claim. See his message to the Senate cal |
led his protest, in which all power which in
its nature is executive, is distinctly claimed
and asserted; and by which he would Justify
the assumption and control of the public
treasure. The vote of the Senate refusing 10
permit this Protest to be entered on their Jour-
nails, the Legislatures Of some of the States
have had the scrvile spirit to instruct their
Senators to move to have expunged from the
journals of the Senate. Yes-there have
been found, (strange and portentous as the
phenomenon ISL such public bodies ready to
and submit TO this arbitrary mower