Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-06-28

To THE EDITyR OF TIE NiwroRT NTws
AND ALL OTHER Ep;ToRs Il believe that
history records OF some anci,nt people that
they never decided on lie merits of man I'M
ii, after his dccease. A verde, thus pronoun-
cod ON his pas, life could never be behed by
his future aa.s. 1t strikes me, Mr.. EditoT,
ha, this would be wise course for you gen
Iemen of the Press tc dopt. Living seclu-
ded 10 the country, have been compelled Il"
rely very much Tor my knowledge OF political
IN n and events on the papers sub crlbe and
paw for. Un, lately have not been given
to doubt their orthodoxy when speaking oi
political men, But since the election OF the
last President, my opinions have undergone
change IN this particular. 1t is true that my
confidence had been some what shaken prev
IONS 10 this event, by editorial confessions of a
GREAT mistake mad, in the character OF an
cm,nen, politician of the Burrite school, t"
whose Vaccinations they ad hitherto a'trIbu-
TED more than moleiy Of all the evils that
had afflicted the country for tn last score OF
years Great indeed was my surprise to find
il admitted IN these confessions that all the
"orrupt and proligatc acts he had hitherto
! been charged with, in their columns, were IN
| iact untrue, and that he was IN reality the
! purest ami best Of men, sincerely desirons o'
,iomo,ing the good Of all classes Of his fel
low creatures and in an especial manner devo
led TO the interest of his colored brethren
whom he loved and designed to cherish as the
,pple of his eye, aud in whose cause he was
| rca ly TO sacrifice his best days, and if need
Ic, his life appealing TO It's whole tenor lor
proof of his sincerity. These confessions by
| those on whose opinions had so much relied
| mortified me greatly, but reflected that we
we're all liable to err, and finally brough, my
| mind TO pass over the mistake. But the re
sui, Of the late Presidential campaign had
scarcely been officially declared, when | wa
conrounded, beyond measure, by finding the
same old charges of corruption and proh'gac,
revived against the same man, and this too
w,,hou, any explanation o. alusion to th'
! late admission, in the same papers, OF lhei
/ Galsehood Whilst mnsing Oh these cdiorla
! phenomena, was struck dumb with astonish
ment in finding actual panegyrics inserted il
! nv favorite columns, on men aLou, being dis
\ placed from office, whose eulogists had bu
/ Yesterday, as it were. taught me to be'iev
/ were little worse if possible than the primo
/ of darkness.
n This was a little too much for my credulit
to swallow, and calling to mind the practice u
the ancien,s have alluded to, determine
hereafter never tu receive as truth any editor
sko ches Of living characters, and only to be
leye them when speaking o. the dead. B
observing this rule find that !, is commo
practice among editors to eulogise the d'
ceased in the inverse ratio that they had rt
vied him while living, and that none can nS
10 the dignity of saint in their columns VII
|. rad not previously been represented IN u
,ame as the chief Of siLners. find anoth'
, peculiar,y TO be that the wider the field hi
sepn upon which living men have displays
,'eir vices, and the greater the ta'en's tn
have teen broueh, to bear on their direcilo
y the BRIGHTER viii their characters appear wh'
cad ; aaJ ,ha, they who through s'ra'agc
and deceit may siri,c al, the suprcmc f'iciiy
cuhroilic nations in war ard blood outline
:, and spreading carnage and death over con
rcn,. will 60 down TO the tomb with hale
of glory encircliue their heads, wreaihed vi
,sl1sies OF every christian ,iitne, and desiin
! .l..o those trho fura many 10 righteousness,
rs slime als star, Of iS frmamcni for ercr a
y e'r