Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-03-29
From the Providence Morning Courier.
The Approaching Election.


advocate his election, after perusing the let
ter he wrote last August to MIR. D'Wolf, anu
especially after reading his letter accepting
the nomination Of the Wing Convention.-
These are open and plain professions oil wing
principles which must be perfectly satisiac-
tory TO all who entertain that political faith.
For practice conformabe to those professions,
memory need but recur 10 the active support
he aud his personal friends yielded the wing
cause at the last election Of Representatives.
to Congress The town Of Warwick, where
Mr.. s. resides, and is considered to have In
Hucnce, gave Messrs. Cranston and Tlliing-
hast 120 majority upon that occasion, where
as in former elections it has commonly given
from 1C0 to l20 majority other way. Messrs.
Cranston and Tillinghast, therefore, together
with all who wished them success, have a.
bundant reason not only to believe IN Mr.
Sprague's sincerity, but 10 be grateful to HIM
for substantial assistance.
II Another portion Of the communications re-
ferred to, are adverse to Mr.. Sprague's nom-
Il nation. Those Of this description that sp-
pear to be from wings, are undoubtedly writ
ten by members of that party. For no man
| of honor, or even of common honesty, would
assume party nppellation, or party aspect
that did not righuully belong TO him. Nor
would you, sir, knowingly permit any man to
be guilty Of practical ialsehood IN your col
umns. repeat, therefore, that the communl-
| cations in question, must be presumed 70
come from genuine wings. VI course, ]
| speak only ofenonymous communlcations.-
\ make no alusion to any other.
II Now W hat are the grounds Of complaint by
those of the whig party who are against Mr.
/ Spragu,? The principal cause ofdissatisiac-
II uoD seems 10 be, that until recently he has
| opposed that party. That charge cannot be
II denied. Il must be admitted. What then |?
Il Is he not no,o a whig? Does any man doubt
IIu? Let him read the letters ] have men,
toned. Let him recollect at the same time
the generous--the magnanimous-.conduct OF
Mr.. Sprague last August, and then say, II he
! can, that that gentleman is not now staunch
in the wbig faith.
Il Ii must be conceded, then, that Mr.. Spraguc
is really whig. One writer, admitting the
II fact. takes occasion to brand him with the
opproblous epithct Of Renegade Truly
this is q winning way to increase our num-
bers. We, the wings, believe the measures
of the Administration to be radically wrong.
We desire to convince our opponents OF the
truth of our belief, in order that they may
come over to our standard and change the
minority into majority. BY this means We
hope to displace the present administration
and substitute another that will consult the
interest and welfare Of the people. TO ef-
feet this great object-to induce our adver-
so ries to come among us and swell our num-
bers-we greet them as fast as they arc con-
III yerted with the courteous appellatlon ol
II.Rencgade.' We toll them they are mer.
cenayics. We endeavor to allure by ins ult-
ing them. We treat them worse when they
actually abandon error than when they stead.
fastly adhore,to it. l admire this exquisite
adaptation of fmeans to ends. Vow long will
it take tho wings to obtain, by this method
the majority they seek?
The question appears to be, not whether
Mr. Sprague, is Of our principles, but wheth-
er it is pvlltd go soon to promote new con-
vert. On tHH point an honest difference OF
opinion may well be entertained. Consult
ing my own judgment US well as my feelings
should say that in general II is not. Other
things, being equal, l should always prefer Q
man who had uniformly been on our side
1t is needless TO say, therefore, that Mr.
Sprsgue was not my first choice.
But there is another question beyond this
which is now Of far more pressing importance
Mr.. S. has been nominated by the Whig
Convent He has accepted a nomination
in letter rcpleie with wing sentiments. lie
is in the field at the head OF a ticket compos'
ed entirely Of men entertaining whig princi'
j pies. The opposing ticket Is made up o
supporters Of Mr.. Van Barren, and, Of course
Of Mr.. Van Buren's policy, as well in respec'
10 the currency as to all other measures
One or the other Of these tickets must sue.
ceed al the coming election. New tickets
may perhaps be framed for the purpose o
,l:.,,.l tha pf tho xvh n
party but the main battle will unquestonably
be fought between these two William
Sprague or John Brown Francis will, un
doubtedy, be Governor.
Now what should be the course of all true
wings under these circumstances? Ought they
manfuly TO support the good cause they have
cspoused, regardless oflninor considerations!
, Or ought they to seek merely the gratifca
ton of personal feelings, either of prediec
ton or dislike? Is it incumbent OH them tt
unite in maintaining their principles Or Is
I it their duty to waste their strength in petty
quarrels among themselves? There is GER
tainly duty of some KIND to be performed
What is il? There is but one alternative
i The choice is between the means that will
ensure victory and the course that will pro-
duce defeat.
Il wish TO urge these questions upon the
candid consideration of such writers as "a
Providence Mainland a"Rhodc Island Whig,' p
and OF those who think with them. ask
with all respect but with much solicitude
that they will review their position. What
do thoy propose to effect? They must
either aid the whig cause or i,Dure it. There
is no other course. The plain tendency o.
their proceedings thus far, is to injure it, by
preventing the election of the whig ticket
Is this the object they avow to themselves
hope not, and yet can see no other result
that can possibly be produced by their labors
Well, suppose this object be attained, wha
will they have gained? They will have
gained the prostration Of the party to which
they belong-the success Of Loco Foco-isn
in Rhode lsland-hc first relapse Of any re.
generate State into The darkness Of Fan BIZ
renism. They will have gained the virtual
approval Of Rhode Island 10 the sub treasury
scheme and to all the measures Of the gov.
ernment which have dcrangcd the currency
and this too, at the time when Daniel Web.
ser is proclaimng from the Senate that these
measures will be fastened upon the country
unless the people come to the rescue. They
will have gained the election of D,aee J
Pearce 10 the Senate Of the United States
Il ne vt Octobor "a the succCssor of .9shs,