Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-04-30
TIE VOTE.

TIE PORTSMOUTH VOTE.
We stated in our last that the return
for Governor, &c. (I835) from the town
Of Portsmouth was NOT correctly given
either in the Newport Mercury, or in the
tory paper Of Wednes esday; and we then
proceeded TO furnish statement Of votes
for Governor, 1t. Governor and Sena-
tors, derived from the most respectable
sources, which we believed, at the
time, to be an entirely correct one. For
this, the junior publisher Of the Mercury
il down upon us, in his last Saturdays
paper, and after questioning our credibil-
ity in no very respectful terms, produces
a letter from his friend, the Town Clerk
Of Portsmouth, which seems to coincide
with the Mercury's statement. We have
word or two TO say, in reference to this
business, which after oil is hardly worth
n controversy, rs the correctness OF the
one or the other report must soon be set
tied by the proper authority. In the
first place, we have not such an awful
sense of the infallibilhy Of the Newport
Mercury as some Of our neighbors; and
do hold and believe, that the junior pub
Usher of that paper, though quito pro-
verb for truth and accuracy, may possi-
Giy be in mistake in O matter of this
nature. We hold further, that a man,
whose Jacksonism is bitterness itself, and
who is hand and glove with Dutce j.
Pearce, is not the most likely TO BIO SO
entirely unswnyed by these feelings, as
not to take up pretty readily with n fa-
vorable second hand, Jackson statement,
especially in an election which is very
closely contested. Further than this,
the Mercury, by its own showing, com
miitcd some very gross errors in making
ont its aggregate of ONE HUNDRED AND
TwENry-FoUR minority for Francis,
which il was 80 prompt 10 publish and
this, as VIC understand, from depending
too far on the second hand information
derived from Dutee J. Pearce-if not OH
eagcrness to proclaim the Jackson tri-
umph. We had therefore some pretty
reasonable grounds for dstrusting the ar
curacy of our venerable WuIG!! neigh
Dor, in addition TO the opinion Of many
most respectable individuals of Ports
mouth, who were present at tho polls,
and saw the votes counted.
But tho Town Clerks certificate, as
published in the Mercury, is in the words
and figures following:
PoRrsMouTH, April l6, 1885.
Our Town Meeting business is as folows-for
Francis 81; Senators s2;-knight l20; Senators
l3l The Proxies were but little scratched"
We have word also for the accuracy
and consistency Of Mr.. Richard Sber-
man, Town Clerk Of Portsmouth. We
are far from impeaching the character
Of Mr.. S., either public or private. For
aught we know he may be as pure and
correcta man as his friend ofthe Mercu-
ry. But we say ofhim, Us we say Of the
junior publisher Of that paper, that he is
thorough-going Jackson partisdn--aud,
in counting votes, would be. very apt at
times, (quite uninten,ionalIy no doubt }
to look at the numbers through "glorif-
cation spectacles" One thing is GER
tain-that many Of the most respectable
inhabitants Of Portsmouth, who have the
best means of knowing, still believe that
the statement in our last is the only cor
rect one. Another thing is certain also,
that just about the close Of the meeting,
and after the votes had been counted,
Mr.. Sherman handed 10 Col j.. Z. Al
Ian, Of this town, memorandum of the
votes, which he has now in bis posses
sion, and which agrees exactly with the