Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-09-07
Remarks Of j. HOxsie, Esq.
Al the Whig Caucus, in Ns,cport, on
Monday suening, Aug. %, 1897.


At the repeated solicitation OF friends,I ap-
year before You, but under circumstances OF
more than ordinury embarrassment. came
,cre not to take any part in the political con-
recovery Of my health, which is much impair
I'd ; and to enjoy for time the bracing air OF
Rhode leland, and the acknowledged hospi-
la!ity and kindness Of her inhabitants from
which am happy to say, that | have already
received much beneft-but still am quite
too feeble 10 attempt to address such an as
sembly as this, convened on such an occasion.
There is another cause Of embarrassment
which would weigh upon me, even if my ply
sical and mental energies were equal to the
occasion. 1t is this.-To most Of you am
an entire stranger, and if known at all to any
of you, it is only by my feeble excrtions in
the cause of the Wings in a ncighboring
State. In that respect, do claim acquaint-
ance and relationship, not only with you, but
with all true Wings in eve'y part Of our coun-
try. Born, sir, in Rhode Island, cannot but
feel interested in her welfare, especially
when see her occupy the situation she now
does in relation to the whole country. The
battle to be fought here tomorrow. gentlemen,
is of incalculable importance, not only to this
Stale, but to our country, OUR WHOLE CoUN-
TRY. 1t cannot be considered (so far as the
election Of members Of Congress is concern
ed,) ofa local character.-Could | persuade
myself it was so, nothing could induce me to
take part in it. As well might the battles Of
Bunker Hill, Of Saratoga, of Brandy,cime, of
Yorktown, be considered local in their charac-
ter.-Not Wing in the Union but felt d.
rect, a personal interest in the result of those
contests so at the present time every true
Wing, from Maine to Louisiana, and from the
Lakes to the ocean, feels an interest, deep,
an abiding interest, in the result Of your
struggle, which is to commence Tomorrow
Rhode Island, to be sure, is 10 be the battle
ground, but it is for the Constitution, for the
Country, that the battle is to be fought--and
!, for one, am willing 10 leave the result to
the freemen of Rhode Island.-They were
true in '76-I will not distrust them in 1887.
Gentlemen, would my strength permit. |
would cndeavor to contrast the present situa-
ton Of the country with what it was when
the late Administration came into power, and
ask you to ascertain, if possible, the causes
of the mighty change in our affairs but this
has been so ably, SO minutely done by the
gentlemen who have preceded me, that will
very briefly alude to a Jeio Of the many mad
acts of the iuie Administration and persisted
in by the present, and leave you to apply the
remedy. And first, in point of time and i'm
poriance, was the attempt Of the late Execu.
tive to improve the currency Of the country,
then THE BEST IN THE WORLDLY or, in other
words, his determination to wreak his ven.
geance on an institution which had refused
to become political engine in the hands Of
his party. He determined, Ito use his own
classic anguagc,) 40 put his foot upon The
neck of Tie monsier.' To enable him to do
this, he did not hesitate to "take the responsi-
Jaity" Of several important measures, in d.
rect opposition to the known will ofthe Rep.
rcsentativcs of the People. He vetoed the
Bill re-chartering the U. s. Bank, passed by
both Houses Of Congress by respectable ma
jorites in 1889. lie did not hesitate to pock.
ct the Land Bill, introduced by Mr.. Clay, lin
stead Of returning il to the IIouse) which al.
SO passed both Houses of Congress by large
majorities in 1889. In 1884, he also removed
the public money from the place designated
by law, as q safe and snitsble depository
And, as ifthe measure of his iniq,.ity and the
peoples su6erings were not yet full, in 1886
he issued the famous tor rather infamous )spe-
Gle circular, requiring gold or silver for the
public lands.
Now, gentlemen. you will observe that
Congress had nothing to do with these wick
ed measures, except to oppose them. They
were forced upon the country by the arbitra-
ry will Of ONE MAN, against the well known
opinions Of a vast majority of the people, as
well as of their Representatives in Congress.
There is one other financial measure of the
late Administration that will allude to, and
have done-I mean the manner of distribut-
ing the surplus revcnuc-and this, l suppose
must in justice land God knows I would dc
them no injustice) be credited to that Neck
ar Of our country, Mr.. Woodbury.. You will
all recollect, gentlemen, that the distribution
was not a favorite measure of the Admins
ration: y no-they we're not for dstribut.
ing any thing, except the "yellow jackets,