The Cecil Whig., 1841-09-25

lECONSlSI'ENCY ,EPOSED.-It is
amusing to witness to what shifts the
friends of Mr.. Thomas are driven, in their
attempts to justify his inconsistent course
upon the subject of the Canal. The stu-
alton they are in, is but the result to which
any other than an honest, straight-for-
ward course invariably leads.-Mr. Thom-
as has found it necessary, in order to sus-
tain his cause, to take ground in certain
portions Of the State against the Canal,
and TO pronounce it most unwise and
quixotic enterprise. He even goes fur
ther, and hold, out the idea that he has
always been opposed TO its construction,
Notwithstanding he consented to become
the President OF the Company. In other
sections his friends hold him up as the
liberal patron aad cncourager of that work
and all those who are interested in its
completion are, on that account, exhorted
to give him their support. BY doing so,
and electing him to the station for which
he is now candidate, they are assured
that very raj aid will be indirectly af-
torded it.
These inconsistencies, however, are
likely to bring them into serious difficult
ties, and bid fair to defeat the very object
which this cunning policy is intended to
subserve. For instance, when MIR. Thom-
as was addressing the people in this city,
he supposed that if he denounced the Ca
nal it was not likely that any of his listen
ers would sympathizc with it and take Of
fence at his course. On the contrary, it
was taken for granted that all the railery
he might indulge in towards it, would
meet ready response in the minds of all
who were present. Under the influence
of this impression, and in order to give
effect to his remarks, he applied to it the
terms "magniicent folly" and ''big ditch"
1t was soon discovered, however, that his
zeal and momentary excitement had led
him to use language that, when repeated
in some of the counties, would excite the
Indignation of tho people towards him
and endanger his election. 1t was, there
fore, thought necessary TO put forth an
explanation of his remarks, and according
ly we find it stated in one of their papers,
that in using these disparaging express
sions, he intended to apply them to the
project Of extending the Canal beyond
Cumberland out Of the State, and not to
that portion of it which lies between
Cumberland and tide water. This was
certainly very plausible explanation, and
in all probability would have been salts
factory to the people, had his friends un-
derstood one another and confined them
selves to it. Most unfortunately, how
ever, for the success ofthe expedient, there
was not proper concert among them, and
the consequences was, that while this
ground was assumed here, the editor of
the Alleganian, at Cumberland, took it in
to his head TO insist upon it, that Mr..
Thomas, in saying that the Canal was a
folly" and ''big ditch"
only used the terms in reference to that
part of constructed along the bank Of the
Potomac, below Georgetown, in the Dis
trict of Columbia. Thus it will be seen,
these assidnore friends of Mr.. Thomas
have placed him in rather an awkward di-
lemma, on attributing 10 him one meaning
and another precisely an opposite one.
Can there be aiIy doubt now, that it is all
a mere shift, ingeniously resorted to for
the purpose of getting him out of diff
culty2 Can there be any doubt now, that
he designs to cast stigma upon the Ca
nal generally, and that he is ready to take
any position in reference TO it, that will
best subserve the purpose of promoting
his electon2