Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-08-10

ADDRESS or THE wHIG STATE
CONVENTION.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF RnoDE.IsLAND;

II We hnvc been called upon 10 nominate
and place before you, two citizens os candi-
dates for your Representatives to the next
Congress. Before announcing the nomlna-
ton, permit US To- make some general obser-
vaions to induce inquiry after the causes of
our present calamites and the best means OF
removing them.
Calanities common to all, often bring s'ran'
gers into acquaintance, aud enemies into
friendship. When the word ID passed. sour
ship is sinking" all on board, passengers and
scomcn, ningla and unite their efforts 10 re.
leve aud save the aboring vessel. The mid
night cry of fire,and the high blaze of confla.
grafton, can call ont nll Of all conditions, and
every effort is made Ia rcpress aud extingulsh
the consuming element. When oar Coun.
try is in danger or distress, who is so coward
" or so impIous as not rush 10 her rescue aud
relief? Ii is Mtn, that all the wise and all the
honest, all who do not feed on the VI
tails Of their common parent, forget their prl-
vate ieuds and unite in the glorious cause OF
patriotism.
The great question which moulded the
Revolution, the controversy between popular
\ rights and Executive power, is again brought
before the country. In that Revolution, all
men who were not Kings tax-gatherers,
Kings officers, or Kings printers, or united
with them either IN blood or by expectation,
aroused themselves, rushed together, and
Joined as one man IN the cause OF liberty and
the people. Will not all true Americans noU
follow in the footsteps of those patriot fathers
Of the Revolution? The controversy OF that
perilous time was not so much concerning po-
lnIcnl power as it was concerning the money
power of our Country. IL not TINT the great
question at this disastrous time? Our fathers
met The kingly usnrpaton of Great Britain on
the threshold, and would never suffer execu-
/ tive power to obtain the control Of their ,rea-
sure. Had Congress done the same in onr
times and compelled the restoration of that
treasure which our Executive had taken from
the control of the people, would the present
cloud of evils have arisen on our then pros
porous land, and darkcned as 1t now does,and
distresses every State, every city, every WI
age. and almost every family and individual
throughout our wide Country? The evils of
the revolution united all patriots to oppose
the measures which Ind produced those e.
wills; and will not the evils produced now, by
kindred assumption OF powcr,unIte the sons
Of those patriots in II like opposition!
i We expect thu, all those whO cal bread from
The Erecni,re Mbie, rho collect tares, rece'pe
sniarics, all those tcho feed on the public money
piA siand By the po,cer which cherish Them J;
,oW resist aH attempts 10 correct those abuses
,o,ich, If mol corrected, rW finally bring 10 Il
morsei Of breod The great body Of he people !;
that peopie, who pay Me tares. and thereby
enable all cho are und,r The patronage Of The
Erec,,tire TO gro,o rich on The Spoils Of The ma
iion. We do not look for those who feed
from the public granary to turn round aud kick
at the ones no furnish them the food they
fatten on we do not look for aid in the work
of REFORM from executive officers, who grow tat
on executive abuses but we hope that all or
all pariies, from the labor Of whose hc!ds,
whose factories, whose stores and works the
public grunaries are filled, we do hope that
they will unite with us to inquire why the arm
of labor is now paralyzeG and why the sour
ccs of prosperity are now dried up? We re-
peat, that we trust, all men Of all parties, ex
| ccpt Office holders and their immediate con.
nexions and those who expect officers, VIII
unite with all other patriots to inquire alter
the cause and seek after the remedy ut these
evils which now PROSTATE and press down all
the lubor,all the productions,a aud all the pros
| perity of our Country.
II Why should not Jacksonnfcn unite with
| those who are not Jacksonmen to relieve and
preserve that Country, which is the common
home and heritage Of us all? A few only OF
all parties are selfish and wicked; the majorl-
ty are liberal and patriotic !; and only want To
know the right path, that they may pursue 1t
with zeal and diligence. You all believe that
JEFFERSON was as great philosopher, as
great statesman, aud quite as much pat
riot as .AndrtW Jackson. He attempted sew
eral experiments. BY one he proposed to a
bandon the Navy, and to substitute, in place
of that arm Of our National defence,a fleet
4, Ill =,
cessor abide by this experiment. No; nor
did they dream that their patriotism, OF even
their partiznn faith required them to cherish
and support the political errors of that great
philosopher.
BY another of his experiments, our COM
merce was to be Withdrawn from the ocean,
and other Nations compelled to come to .he
u States to trade with our Merchants here,
at their own stores and counting houses our
ships and sailors were TO be called from the
high seas, and our Yankee spirit OF maritime
cnterprize to be confined to our Rivers, liar'
bors, Bays, and Lakes; kind OF coasting
marine. protected by the other branch OF The
experiment; squadrons Of gun boats. Ihis
experiment of a passive commerce, as then
dcnominatcd, was agtuted in tho schools, IN
the public journals, and periodicals OF those
times and there seemed to be grent deal ol
safety, as well as quictude, in this theory OF
shutting ourselves in,by the shell oi our shore,
from Passamaquoddy to the western limits OF
Louisiana.
Did the partizans Of Mr.. Jefferson feel
themselves pledged to carry out his expert
ments? Not at all. The moment Hull in
one of our American frgates had captured Q
British friga,e, and Perry with an American
fleet had taken British fleet Of superior force,
Gun Boats were forgotten; and the true sprit
Of American maritime enterprize and adven-
turc rushed back again to the ocean, and pas