Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-10-11
Friday Oct. 5.

friend Henry II. Tuckerman, Esq, who has
been spending the summer in tbs town and
as i, contains ve:y much that IS interesting
to Newport people, wc give 1t entire MI
Tuckerman is one of our most polished wrl-
tiers, both IN prose and poetry, and has con-
tribu;ed much that is valuable 10 the liera
ture Of the country.
NEWPORT, Sept. 10, 1910.
This is the anniversary Of the battle OF
Lake Erie, and as inhale the saluhrlons arr
>and look forth upon the majestic sea, can
realize how a man of heroic spirit may go
from amid such an inspiring experience with
the calm resolve TO execute gallant DEEDS OF
peish in III, attempt. Indeed, TO Judge by
the "reminiscences of the " oldest lnhdhtant,
which is quite Me,huseeh problem here
for longevity is peculiar to this r"gion-New-
port has never failed, in the hour of reed to
weld he, brave champions. In the colonial
times, there was Roger Willams, a man who
seems TO have bce the incarnation OF moral
courage, who, unsubdued by the spiritual ty-
ranny of Massachusetts, that drove him forth,
10 wander through the piercing winds and
heavy SHOWS Of New England winter, and
find in savage hospitality the refuge denied
i'm by counirymcn and blgo's-wiihou' a
guide. or food or lodging. Under grant
from the chief of the Wamplnoags, he gan
a settlement at Seekonk, on the cast side OF
hut
prosecuting spirit of his former ncighbors pur-
sued him, and at the suggestion of WInsow' :
then Governor of Plymouth, he removed be-
yond their jur sdcton, and established an IN
dependent colony at the head OF The bay ana
named it Providence, in memory, as he dcclar-
ed, d" of Gods mcrci'ul rov!dcnce to him.
The claim as ably urged by Mr.. Hunter, ou'
forr:cr Minister at Bail, in an address deIlv.
cred in this town two years ago, which had
the pleasure of hearing, tha; this State hence
forth became the only one in New England
which truly enjoyed the blessings of religious
feed IN, is fully confirmed by the evidence o'
facts perceive that lildrrth, in his lately
published History Of the United States, recog-
MICS this noble distinction as Justly belonging
TO Rho @ Island. The purpose Of Roger
Williams, in his two visits To New England
to secure a charter which should protect his
colony " from the spiritual despolism Of hel
neghb, RS, appears to have been realized
and on the second of these occasions, Clarke
his companlcn, still honorably represented by
descendants in Newport, although he won the
friendship of Clarendon for his mission, was
obliged 10 mortgage his house here, in oide'
TO deiray the expenses of their visit sacr
q. flee subsequently, redeemed by the corporation
Massachusetts continued TO watch the grow
ing little State with jealous eye; but VIII
'lams had taken care that the terms Of thu
new charter should be expllcit-provlding en-
phatically that, " NJ person within the SAT-
Colony shall be molested, punished, disquiet
, de, or called in question, for any dIflcrcnc,
in matters of religious opinion, who did no
actually disturb the civil peace" Indeed, tn,
antagonists of Williams have betrayed in the
own attempts at sei-vlndcation, the necessi,,
of these stringent preclsions. In an old bool
Of Cotton Ma,hei's, he says, if any maj
has los, his religion, he may find it in th
general muster o opinions (referring TO ,h'
II. ]. Setlements) IN this Garizim Of New
England, the receptacle of the convlts o
Jerusalem and outcass of the land" i'h
only instance recorded Of intolerance in vii
liams seems to be his joining his old cnemie
Bcains, the Quak ers, although it does not az
pear that he did this otherwise than BY ia
controversy. His logical comba,iveness an
zeal may be inferred from the wcl-au,hent
Gated fact that, atlei the age of seventy, h
roved in an open boat from Providence
Newport a distance of thirty miles, To argu
the matter with George Fox which discu'
SION continued for three days, without an
satisfactory issue. A curious illustration {
their mutual excitement aud o. the spirit ,
those times, is still preserved in the Rcdwoo
Library, here, IN the shape of wOrm-eate
snd back-lcl,er volume, entitled Georg
Fox Jigged out ofhis Euuows," and the la
ter's reply, called "A New England Fin
brand Quenched." Notwithstanding III
partial sympathy Of opinion, the represeni
tiyes Of Rhode Island, ESQ named from tt
Isle of Rhodes,) found no cou' tcnance
their sister colony, for the delegation that Vi
lied Boston, soon after, were fred and viii
,cd by the authorities Of that town. The %
ua,r,uls here. not content With bearing of II
palm Of colonial freedom, claim a'so that Il
first act Of popular resistance 10 English o
rrc.sIon that occurred IN the country, was Il
destruction of II b. N. armed slOoP LIbc