Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-09-09

, ABUSES, uuu buiblht Wn'Nn uhso w. "
/. promulgated aud c,rcnIa'. d to my dis
credit, ies'gn,d to asprrse and b'acsrn
my character, aod iron, the vlllnn"i'S
aud false charges urgrd against me ny
the pensioned presses oi Ihis Adn'n's-
traiion, my attendance nt tins ceiebra-
tion appeared 10 have been made an ac'
Of necessity, ~ step which ! was com
pelled 10 ,ake for self-dernce. Chletl,
ior this purpose have l come among
you, and trusting you wilt all perceive
The propriety OF this course, 1t seems sn-
perlluous to add any lurlher reasons for
It's adoption.
Years ago, fellow ciIizens, when J
left this spot--for aught ] knew, lor the
last tune had little idea of the sur
prising change which would be wrought
~ its appearance during the time which
has snpnrvened Never did | expect
to stand here aud behold such "A scene
as this Ii resembles some" hat me re-
cent siege of "OId Fort Meigs - !
am now siAty-seven years of age. ]
have tbcrefre lived to behold much oil
The glory of my country have seen
the p.ny days OF this Republic and
especially have | Witnessed many OF
the brilliant events which have charac-
teI'zed the growing greatness OF the
lnvely West but this very day and Ms
incidents mark an epoch III my own his
tory, tho like oil which | have Sc dom
experienced. 1t is now twenty-five
years since last | was at Fort Green
v,ie-then surrounded by dense Tor.
est, dark aud drear. AT that period
there was scarce Log Cabin between
Grcenville and Cincinn -all between
was one entire, unbroken wilderness.
How wonderfully aud how speedily have
the giant woods bowed their stately tops
10 The industry and enterprise OF Wcs-
tern pioneers, as II some magic power
had cleaved them from the north! Aud
now iI thor stead what do we behold
Bload, cultivated fields, i,owery gar
deps, and happy homes. Delightful
picture gratifying change Proud
reflection that this transition OF things
is the result Of the handiwork ol Nes-
tern People-of American ireemen.
Fellow Citizens, you have undoubted-
ly seen it oitenlnes stated III certain
class OF newspapers that | nn very
decripit old man, obliged to hobbIe about
"a crulches that was Gagged up, and
that could not speak loud enough 10 be
heard more than five feet distant, IN con-
sequence OF which last misfortune l am
slismatized with the cognomen OF Gen
eral Mum" You now perceive, how
ever, that these stories are lalse. But
there are some other more serious mat
te,s charged against me, which shall
take the liberty 10 prove untrue. You
know il has been said by some tnat
have no principles that dare not avoN
any principles aud that l am kept un-
der the surveillance OF a committee" "
All this is ialse-uncOnditionaliy, noto-
riously false. The charge Of my being
in the keeping OF IL committee Is the
DOLLY one that seems to merit nom, nj 5
considerion, and that barely to Indicate
its origin. A few months past almost
every mail that has come to the post
offices al which receive my letters and
papers has brought me greater or q
less number of letters-all Of which
have opened and examined. Some OF
them have proved abusive aud cuitemp-
tible, designed especially to taunt and
insult and such were oi course, COLI
signed To the flames. But OH the other
hand, letters decorously written, for the
purpose Of eiicitiny information, have
been uniformly replied to either by my
self personally, or by some one acting
under my authority and obeying my
auctions communicating my opln-
ions, and not his own. Is there any
thing criminal or improper IN tins mode
OF doing business ? Surely my friends,
1 trow not.
Now, with regard to the political con-
dItIon OF our common country, l trust
there is no ImproprIety in my addressing
you upon subjects concerning the public
veal What means this great cOm-
motion" among the people Of this great
nation What are the insuilerable
grievances which have driven SD many
thousands, nay, millions, OF the Ameri-
can People into council for the purpose
Of devising measures for their mutual
relief Whereior do they cry aloud, as
with one voice, Reform Reform Re-
form Our country rs IN peril ! The
public morals are corrupted. How has
it been done "To the victors belong
the spoils," say your leaders. What
arc the consequences ? Ask the hun
dred public deiaulters throug ghout the
land ! Ask the hre!ings Of corruption
who are 'proifcrlng "power and place"
as brlbes 10 procure votes Ask the
subsidized press what governs its opera
tons, and 1t will open It's iron jaws and
answer you ln a'voce loud enough to-
shake the pyramids MONEY ! MONEY
] speak not at randon-lacts bear me ,es-
tnnony. The principle is boldly avowed,
as well as put in practice by men in
bigh places, that lalsehood is justiliabIe
in order to accomplish their purposes.
Why this Iaxity in the morals OF our ru-
lers and Of their followers Did they
inherit depravity from their ancestors ?
How does il come that such reckless
ness Of truth and justice is manifested of
late by some individuals among US p
Why, some Of the causes which produce
the evils | have already intimated.-I