Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-01

""u u'sPiuy uhcII PoWcIs, uav uiteI uayI
and week after week, until the subject
OF debate is completely exhausted he
has no ambition to make speeches mere
y for the sake of being called speak
ing member, and making n figure in the
newspapers. And VIC may rest assured
that, in point of standing and influence
in the" House, he loses nothing on that
account. Being well known to the mem
bcrs of both Houses, he is appreciated
and respected for the accuracy ofhis in
formation and soundness Of his judgment,
and for the firmncss, consistency and in
dependence OF his character. Least Of
all is this candidate charged by his op-
poncnts with timd, or time-scrving poll
cy or with subservisncy to the oPin-
ions or dictations Of others or with any
want of decision and stability Of charac-
ter.
Now, if the possession of any Of the
useful and meritorious qualities ! have
been mentioning, could, with truth, have
been denied to him, it undoubtedly
would, and fairly might have been de-
MED to him, and with effect, in applica-
ton TO his public conduct, his quali6ca-
iions as a representative. But, instead
of any such denial, it was his Independent
exei else of some of these very qualities,
"a reliance upon his own judgment, de-
liberateIy formed, and a irm adherence
to il, that first subjected him, two ses-
sions ago, to the charges now revived,
with fresh violence, TO serve the present
occasion. 1t happened that, on three
prominent occasions, during the two last
sessions Of Congress, Mr.. Cranston voted
differently from most of his political
friends. Those occasions were, lst.
The bill making large appropriation of
money to continue the war against the
Seminole Indians. I'd. The Fairlie Id
resolutions respecting the Cilley duel
And 81, the Maine appropriation bill.
MIR. Cranston voted against all those
measures and, on each of them against
great majorities Of his friends. His op-
poncnts, therefore, could not charge him
with having acted in subserviency to tho
opinions Of others. On the contrary,
the charge made against him, on each
Of those occasions, was that Of pre-
sumptuous confidence in the correctness
of his own opinions, and peItinacious
adherence to them, against ibe opinions
ofa great majority Of his political friends,
as well as of those of the other members
of the House. And, it must be admitted
that those charges, at the time they were
made, were not without force. The ap-
pearances were strongly against MIR. G.
and, Judging by them alore, i, was much
more probable that the opinions of such
largo majoritios were correct, than that
his were.
But, appearances are not facts, and
are often laIlacious. And so IN the re-
suit, they proved to be in every one Of
the instances referred TO. For, in doe
course Of time, it came TO pass that the
same party which originated those char
ges against MIR. Cranston, by its OVID,
subsequent public proceedings, CON.
pletely vindicated him from them, and
proved to the world that, in voting as no
did, he not only acted uprightly and con-
scientiousIy, but with sound judgment
and with foresight 1t was not strange
that such charges should have been made
when they were, and by the party which
did make them: But it is strange indeed
hat the same party should suffer its in
strulncnts now to repeat them, in the face
Of its own proceedings, by which they
have been uncquivocalIy falsifed.
OF the truth Of this, most OF those who
have kept the Iun Of things have long
been satisfied aud every one will be
fully satisfied of it who will recall to
mind a few of the public events, which
MIR. Cranston correctly anticipated at
the time Of his voting, and which, since,
have actually taken place.
After all that has transpircd, and be-
come known to the public since the dates
of the votes so much talked about, n
particular examination Of the questions
upon which they were given, is 10 lon
ger necessary TO MIR. Cransion's jus,if-
cation. But the subjects themselves
were sufficiently important, and interest
ing (not to say, exciting,) to lead Us to
boslow few reflections upon each Of
them. And first
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