Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-07-26
LETTER NO q.
To Martin Van Buren,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

III my hrst letter, from Tue wrtihgs oi Ceie-
braicd author, in which despotlsn Is defined.
Lest, however, your present Perplex'ng snx-
icties may cause you 10 overlook or sorgcs
that notable definition, will repeatit. "Ihc
sovereignty of a despolic monarch assumes
the power of making wrong right, and right
wrong, as he pleases, or as it suits him.-
The sovereignty ofa republic Is exercised
TO keep right and wrong in their proper ana
distinct places, and never 10 suffer the osse
to assume the place of the other" Well, siv
you will rccolleei that il was upon this ground
proposed to try your fidelity. have been
faithful to my promise, and am willing TO re-
fer the decision Ia the umplrage Ut HE how
est and intelligent Of all classes OF the clii-
zens Of this republic, and abide their judy
ment, whether have not demonstrated tlnt
YOU are a cruel, reckless and relentless des-
pot---cxcrcisipg, constantly, the fearful power
uf making right wrong, and wrong right, nnd
by such means devotiug this country, and W
interests, the one TO dishonor, and the other
To continued suffering.
Where, Sir, shall we find in any of your
acts the presence aud working OF that sove-
rcigniy which is exercised TO keep right ana
wrong in their proper and distinct places, and
which viii not suffer the one to assume the
place q the other? Can IL be found in your
it, the vitals Of business and commerce. or ~
it discernablc in your persevering resolve to
keep up the arrangement ot the ono, and
| keep prostrate the other? Or is il in your
| desperate effort to fastcn upon the breasts OF
this suffering people that Infamous con,.'-
vance dcnominated by Your polished mouth
/ piece, tho Clobc--"The independent Treasn-
ry ?" Or is it in your purpose, as announced
by your cooperating instrument, Canibreieng,
To whom the commercial interests ot our
great emporium were, in an evil hour, so un-
fortunately trusted, which he has SO fonlly
BETRAYED. 10 brave the will Of the people a.
twice expressed through Congress against
that foul monster, and in defiance OF that, will
continue until IS4i, 20 curse the nation with
perncous operations Or, is'it in the conn
tenancc You give to the perpetual stream of
vulgarily and falsehood that goes out daily
through the Globe, as go the fccnlcnce and
lihh OF city through the common sewer.
and TO its dcsccration of all that u wise and
vrtuous, and elorhcation Of oil that is fool
sh aud vicious? II is here, SIR 10 this great
reservoir OF corruption, that the elements "t
your labors and you, cohorts, are seen: and
II is here, in the slime Of its materials, that
the poison is visible which is sent out by yotI
and yoor instruments among the people, and
sustaining nourishment. Or, perhaps, Sir.
tina, other sovereignty which is exercised :"
keep right and wrong in their places, may be
detected in your notable discovery that the
mighty revolution of public sentiment in this
ate, was caused by the instrumcDtahiy Vi
| tie banks.
q Now, sir. yon were either ignorant Of what,
as President Of the United States, you were
bound to know, touching this matter, or you
wckcdly mndc the assertion, knowing Vt to
be false you may choose either OF these al
ternatives. Every body, (if yon prefer the
hrs, J cxcep, yourself, knew nt the time, and
knows now, as Mr. Tallmadge has told you.
that there are fifty-six counties in this state.
all, except thirteen having one or more banks.
Of these thirteen, FIVE are opposition, and
eight administration counties. These eight
counties gave the administration majority
at the Presidential election in 1895, Of 6,7Sl.
In 1897, they gave 2,6l7, making an opposi-
ton gain Of ,lG4 in net vote Of less than
Is.CC0. These are counties where there arc
no banks! Another remarkable commentary
on your discovery appears in the fact. that
| the opposition gain in these eight counties Is
nearly double what the other counties in the
state averaged in their gain. The question
| OF ght TO have occurred to you-"why " Il
|
| in counties where there are no banks, than
| in counties where there are banks 2" But
| no, sir, this did not suit your system Of put
ting wrong for right, or in other words false
hood for trnlb. Yon and your "iffnstrioHs
predecessor" and your associates, finding
ont that the cry Of "down with the banks"
had proved so cffectnal as a mischief work
! ING, and party sustaining instrument, with the
foregoing facts staring yon in the face, had
the impndencc in yonr Presidential message
TO tell Congress and the world, hat the mighty
change which had been wrought in public
opinion in New York, was the result Of bank
bribery.
Sir, if I had clerk, or meniaI, who should
be in his occupation thus ignorant would
dismiss him !; and if he should know better,
and wickedly attempt to pass of for the truth
falsehood so insulting and degrading I"
those against whom il was uttered, would
add to the punishment Of bis dismissal. pub
lie annunciaion Of his corruption. and warn
the community against trusting or employ
ing him-and TINT is Just what the people
are going to do with yon. They feel that
they owe it to themselves, to the honor Of the
nation, and to postcrity, TO put the brand Of
their rcprobation upon device so wicked
for, sir, believe me when say, il is my firm
persuasion that you gave nttersnee TO that
declaration knowing il TO be false. Well
might Mr.. Talmadgc, when speaking 10 the
Senate in February last, upon this foul asI'er-
sion. say-"Sir, under such an impntshon
ms this, citizen of tlc United States N
foreign land, would blush for his country"
T And do You think, sir, ahcr your having
beer, as I have demonstrated in these letters,
the chief instrument. not Of ovrrfnrpinR the
monctiry system only. and involving. ~ q
lconse equence, the commerce and business NJ
the country in one widespread ruin, but OF
slperndJinp TO this a slaDderous imputation
aoninst the integrity and patriotism Of such
body Of frcemen, that they are going N pock-
ef both tho injury and the insult. and allow
YOU to escape with impuniiy from the jnst
consequences Of such outrsgcs? Ifyos have
arrived - any such conclusion. or indnlgsd
in airy such hope, abandon both at once, Tor
the sake of your own quiet. md cultivate
those feelings which will render yop more
cnllous TO the shame and reproach which arc
destined. your companions, TO attend you
in your retirement.
| believe, sir, that IN no one Of your acts
since you took your seat by tho side of your
''illustrious predecessor" To play the part
there that the devil.dId in Paradise. whom.