Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-11-28
The Position of the WhigS.

No defeated party ever occupied q
more honorable or advantageous position
than that of the Uhigs. In the grea,
struggle just closed, they have done
their duty. They have fought the good
fight in spirit worthy Of their cause
They have proclaimed TO the world their
principles. They have put forward as
candidates mer with whose opinions and
qualifications the whole world was ac.
quainted. They have done all that hon
est men could do,to secure the triumph OF
the right. They have on their side the
most intelligent aud vrtuous portion OF
the people. 1t is a fact which their OPP
ponenls will be slow to question, that OF
the sober, cool, well-ntormed and I'M
PreJudlccd part of the community, three
1ourths have been, arJently and CON
scienllously y, adherents Of the Wing par
ty. They are with them yet and
whether in defeat or in victory, the
Wings will always have the consolation
OF knowing that the enlightened, candid
public opinion is on their side.
How, then, have they been defeated
By the frauds Of their opponents We
do not mean simply that illegal votes
have won the victory for Loco Focosm
though we have not the slightest doubt
ihat the number of such votes cast by
our opponents, could it be accurately
asccrtained, would far exceed the popu-
Jar majority which their candidate will
receive. But look at the State of Penn
sylvanla. What led the people OF that
State,-dependent, as they are, upon a
Protective Tariff for their very bread, -
10 cast their votes for James X. Polk
Simply, and confessedly, the belief that
James *. Polk was as much the advo-
cate Of Protection as Henry Clay
And there is not a man of common in
leIlIgcnce IN any part o. the Union who
does not know this pretence to be utterly
false. The people Of that State were
delrauded into this belief by the false
hoods and lcrgeries of the Loco Foco
demagogues in whom they were accus-
toned TO place confidence. Here, then,
is one stupendous fraud, which secured
TO James X. Polk the vote Of Pennsyva-
mia.
In New York Mr. Polk has obtained
less than 5000 ma jority. A change Of
$500 votes would have given the State
10 MIR. Clay.
Is there an intelligent man in the
country who does not know that at least
this number Of naturallzed citizens, here
,olore Wings, voted for Polk under the
belief, carefully and vilaDously instlled
into their minds by Loco Foco leaders,
that if Mr. Clay were elected they
would be prescribed, deprived Of their
vested rights, and degraded below the
level Of their fellow citizens Thous.
ands OF Wing Abolitionists withheld their
votes from Mr. Clay under the Influence
of the base ialsehood, clamorously spread
by their Loco Foco leaders, that he
was favorable TO the annexation of
Texas. Thousands of well meaning
hat il-lniormed persons voted against
Mr.. Clay benuse they believed the
foul aspersions cast upon his moral char
acter by his enemies. And more than
all this, thousands and thousands Of for
clgners were made citizens, for the eX-
press purpose OF voting, as toreigncTs,
against Mr. Clay, aud thus defeating the
honest wish of the American people.
Morally, il not legally, all these in,tru-
,mcnlalilles against which The Whigs
have been forced To contend aud u0dci
which they have been overwhelmed, are
unprlnciplcd aud wicked frauds. Then
effect has been To- establish n system oi
national policy directly Hc rcrcrSC Of
that desired by The American people.
These arc some Of the reasons why
the Wings have been defeated. The
means which have been employed are
such Hs could only have been used
against good cause They have prov
cd successful in ovorpowoIIng our .arm.
bcrs, and at least posponing our policy
But they have aroused, ~ every honest
heart "a feeling which vii not Sleep.
They have ncrvcd every American ann
,'nh Il strength which viii ultimately