Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-10-15
III r II AL ID OF II Ill e II nj d S.
[ror the Herald Of the Times.


the II. /. Republican in their paper Oi
the 7lh, made the following assertion
THAT the wages Of the lahorers employ
ed by government were the same as here
tolore- without any diminution in any
respect" La commune alton IN your
paper Of last week, | said that "the Ed
itoIs of The II. /. Republican had stated
what they kne,o TO be jaise-and said
that the laborers on Fort Adams did mol
receive the same wages as heretofore
That they were told, some two months
since, that il they would work for 10 cts,
per day and wait until next April for
That miserable piitance, they might go
to work, otherwise they might look Tor
employment elsewhere-and further that
the conductors OF that paper might have
known, that the last cash payment these
poor laborers received from the govern
ment, (Which was some time in July last
was in French gold, Of the denomination
NaPoleons, which they were obliged to
take at $3,87 l-2 cts. and pass for 49,.
10, IN exchange for Bank Rags" That
commune alton was hastily written mere
y for The purpose Of arresting II gross
lulsehood, which was evidently intended
and designed to mislead and deceive
those who ought to be correctly informed
on those subjects. a more deibe-
rate review of that article, find It con-
tained two trifins and unimportant errors:
first, S3,87 l-2, should have read So 80
the second, 81 cts. por day instead OF
75 CTS. This last error was in conse-
quence of information received by the
writer a short time siEce, direct from one
of the overseers of the public works al
New London, that the laborers on the
Foriiication at that place received but
rs els. per day. Being in possession OF
this fact, ] made no inquiries as TO the
exact SUN the Iaborers received at Fort
Adams, surprising, as any one natu-
rally would, that the "market value Of
labor" for the same kind of work, 10 be
performed by the same kind Of hands,
and for the same employers, at two points
separated only about 40 miles-ough,
not to vary much if any, and even now ]
am at loss to know why that difference
should exist. Such, however, il seems,
is the fact, and have nothing further to
say on that subject. l further stated
that "these poor laborers were hawking
about those government promises to-pay
ner-.Aprii, and offering them at heavy
discount for the common nccessarics OF
life." These charges | made to relute
the statements Of MIR. Van Buren and
the editors of The X. |. Republican, and
every one ofthem | am ready TO substan-
tiate in a court Of law if necessary. II
seems that Mr.. J. l.. Mason, lst Lieu-
hnant Of Engineers at Fort Adams, hav-
ing a great regard for the reputation of
Mr.. Van Buren,, or the editors Of the
X. !. Republican, or both, has seen lit
to step out Of his place, and in an article
in last weeks Newport Mercury, pro-
nounces oil these charges "C,ise," and
without advancing ono single joi, titiie or
iota OF evidence to disprove single al
legation therein comained-but on the
contrary he admits in a most bungling
and clumsy manner, the principal charge
that ofthe reduction of wages) 10 be t,rlc,
notwithstanding the laborers get 81 cts.
per day lin some sort of promiscs) in
stead Of Is. This first Lieutenant Of
Engineers at Fort Adams says, cit is
false as insinuated in the Herald Of the
Times, that any reduction Of wages has
taken place at Fort Adams in conse-
qucnce of the adoption of the ten hour
system" And where does he find the
insinuation in my communication that
th, wouns of thu laLn.ox, L..l Lo~- 49,,
duced in consequence Of the adoption of
the ten hour system? | no where sta
ted it, or even tnSinuaied it. ] said that
the wages of labor had been reduced al
Fort adams, and he admits the fact in
so many words-and merely says, that
they were not reduced until the lst of
August. Mr.. Mason farther states, that
-" it is false" that the laborers ut Fort
Adams are hawking about the promises
to pay next April Of the government, ,and
offering them at discount for the com
mon necessaries Of life. Now i. is no.
torious that numbers of those laborers
have repeatedly applied to different in
dividuals for food, clothing, fuel, &c,
&C., offering te pledge eridsnce Of the
Indebtedness Of the government to them
for labor performed, and offering such
eridence as they had, at heary discount.
which eridenee when so pledged, would
enable them to obtain the money neri
ApTl with which to liquidate those
debts they were nccessitated to incur
! did not hno'U that they had any w,iiien
evidence Of the fact that the government
owed thcm--but l naturally supposed
that If they had performed the labor,
they were entitled to something Of the
kind. But it appears by Mr.. Mason's
own showing, that they have not only
had their wages reduced to 81 cts. per
day, but are obliged TO trust the govern.
ment for that-and that "no certificate
Of debt or promise to pay, Of any sort or
Kind rhoterer, has ever been given by
any officer or agent Of the governmen mt
to any Fort Adams laborcr." This il
will be readily perceived, only aggra-
rates the case, and makes il much worse
for the poor laborer than I had stated il,
and MIR. Mason, in his eagerness to
shield MIR. Van Buren, from me erited cen
sure and rcproach, has run against a
stump (io use homely phrase) that he