Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-07-06
From the Providence Journal
RESlGNATI0NS.
WM. GIBBS MCNEIL,
Major General Commanding.

We have published number OF rcsgna-
tions Of men who stood somewhat prominent
| in DORIS government, considering them oi
II sufficient public interest to eDtiile them TO
place in our columns. Such - not The case,
however, with those whose names have hot
| been prominently before tho public III con-
H nex;on with his reasonable affairs, nnd such
/ designations have no claim to be published
other than as advert lscmenls The writer's
can probably accomplish all tho objects oi
/ publication, without the expense, by sending
| their rccantations 10 the Governor ana Couh-
Hell.
H We presume no one has supposed that, by
pub blisbing these designations, we have in'cn-
| dcd 10 endorse them, or that we place Tho
slightest confidence III the statements OF men
who, having aroused to pitch Of furious ex-
element brutal passion in ignorant men, now
| come forward and say they never meant 10
Il Use force. man might as well lond mus
/ kct, discharge 1t, and then declare that ho
/ never meant To have II 90 oh The cduca-
ted dcmagogucs who, in their efforts TO rld0
into power on the backs Of men very bad,
but infinitely better than themselves, have
told thom that they had perfect right TO
overthrow the government IN their own way,
and To sustain by iorcc the now government
erected by them upon ifs runs, nre morally
/ responsible for the terrible consequences OF
their advice. Does any man suppose that
/ the men who were brought ~ as prisoners,
| last Wednesday, would have ever taken up
arms against the State, had they not been
| melted TO It by their orators, writer's, and
| leaders? Shall these latter DE allowed to
escape by a simple resignation, when tho
/ former are made to suffer tho penalty of tho
outraged laws? Shall they sit on their Tur-
II key carpets and drink their champagne wine,
| while The miserable victims OF their ambition
| are cxpiating their crimes IN prison? In
| the card that we published from Joseph Josllp,
II he snys thut he hus never taken any part ~
Il The forcible movements md that he has al-
why's disupprovcd Of them. What did he IN
/ tend when he presided nt the convention
which declared that the "Pcoplc's Consiitu-
'ion" should be sustained by oil necessary
h means? What did he mean, when he signed
his name TO n proclamation declaring that
/ constitution TO be the paramount lnw-oii ih6
land, and lIat.il sbo0ld be defended and sus-
tanned as such? A poor fellow, from New
port. was sent to jail last Wednesday, who
would have been a pcaceable citizen 10 tina
day, had II not been for the sophlstry OF such
men ns Joslin.
| II II be right for ma ority TO overthrow
| government, without regarding any OF the
| lorms Of law, without regarding any OF tho
/ rights of tho minority, without regarding the
| compact to which all have agreed and n
he government of this State has been so
Il Ovcrthrown, md n new government so cstab.
lshod, and # under that new government
II Mr.. Dorr was legally chosen Governor Of tho
State, certainly hc has done nothing which
| he had not right To do and certainly those
who contend for all this have no cause Ia
complain OF his conduct. 1t is very curious
lIur,, M hat nptla Ion llu
tabllshcd, and yet has no right 20 enforce its
authority! II is n very curious that men
Il should I'll III n Legislature aud pnss laws, and
then say TINT they meant not to have them
Il executed! II i very curious that they should
Il direct the man whom they solemnly declared
To be their Governor, to take possession OF
he public property, aud should elect military
officers and then blame him for attempting
To take possession Of such property, aud for
calling on such officers to, md bIm! Aud
most curious Of all is II for men, who voted
for n resolution to ma nialn the Pcop'c's Con-
s liniion "by all necessary mennS;' who en-
cournged their followers TO form military
companies for the nvowed purpose Of man-
tanning that constitution ;who saw, without
rrbukc the evidence Of DORIS intention TO
bring here assistance from New York ;and
who read without rebuke, his Infamous proc
lamation nvowing that intention who heard
his speech on the day Of his iriumphal pro-
cession, when he waved his sword, and de-
clarrd that il should bc bnthed in blood II
necessary to sustain his power; most curio1s
of all, we soy, is II. that such men should
now come forward md say that they never
intended to employ force Prny, them what
did they intend ? What did they intend by
their resolutions. passed on the i2h Of Muy,
IN which tbcy declared that they would Sup
port, proiect, and deJtnd Gop. Thomas ". Dorr
10 ne taste" What did they intend to do
with their soldiers, nnd their muskcts and
their ball cartridges? And with the cannon
which they stole aud loaded TO within foot
Of the muzze with scrap iron Is there any
man IN this community so forgeiiul, or so
foolish ns TO believe that these leaders did
not mean 10 use force, or TO persuade other
pcop TO use force ? That they intended to
keep out Of the way Of danger htmseircs 10
very probable.
| Ii affords ns no qualification TO make these
remarks, but they nre necessary. We ara
disposed 10 have the government overlook
the past IN those men who honestly and can
ddy return to their allegiance; but we nro
not disposed TO see the public imposed upon
by those leaders who have deserted Dor on
ly because he had niscrObly failed, and who
arc ready TO return 10 him II he ever appears
with fair chance q! success. Tho state of
public affairs requires that the truth should
be spoken plnlnly upon this subject.
Wo think II by no means improbable, that
Dorr may even yet make desperate attempt
10 retrieve his fortunes md u is the plnin
duty oi The government 10 take such measures
as will show that treason shall no, go unpun.
Ished. Our rliizcns must not be called into
The field, away from their homes aud their
business. NJ often ns u may fult the plensure
of Thomas w. Duu aud hls esrocinie dcma-
vogucs. For the dcluded mon who havo
been cnliccd by their leaders to these acts of
airocions wickedness, No feel great compns.
SION. We hope their punishment viii be ns
slight ns ~ consistent with the great ends Of
public rlsiIcc. For the leaders, we have no
excuse, no polllsiiOn 10 OlIrr