Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-02-07

Descendant, c"mmenIs upon our article re-
lalive TO the impropri'y approprating n
sum OF money to erect monument T. the
memory of the Revolutionary heroes from
this town, before provision is made for the
paymen, Of the Reg stored State Debt
He very ,0isely exc AIMS,
/ Well, we always expected if anv oppo-
sillon were made to tins late remembrance
of the Departed Blave. Of Newport. it
would come from Newport il,elf The
first thing they think at is monec. The
spirit of Improvements; has always Jagged in
that reg ION.
This, to he sure, is rery potent areu-
ment. We are not aware that our citizens
are any more penurous than those of any
other place ; aud, certainly, their pas, his
tory does Tot warrant any such assertion
On the contrary, had they been as ardent
devotees of the golden gol as this " He
ro'S Descendant" asserts, it would have
been better for the place and all who reside
here, because they would have embarked
in new proje is, and made strong exertions
to increase the wealth Of the place. If The
spirit of Improvement has Jagged, as the
Herald's correspondent charges, the cause
cannot be attributed to an excessive love of
money far from it,-it is just the reverse
I And, surely, no man will charge as with
any delinquency Of duty, in endeavoring to
arouse spirit OF enterprise, by ncting
the good people of Newport TO energetic
action
/ Tie arguments urged by this writer in
/ the Herald are not strong, ty any means
he thinks that respectful remembrance Of
! the Heroes of the Revolution, by building
a rnondmInt for them, would not lessen or
delay the claims growing out of that war,
for which the holders no 81 ask remunCra-
tion. 1t would not lessen their rdiidity,
we admit neither do we think that II
would hasten ther pdyment, inasmuch as
no noinconsde able sum must be taken from
the State Treasury to build this monument.
He states that none Of the descendants of
the Heroes 10 whose memory the nonu-
ment is proposed to be erected, ever mad:
any claim for remuneration for the loss of
properly during the war. If they ma a'e no
claim, it was their own IA ault, and this GER
tanly cam, invalidatc the claims of those
! who have made demand. Congress re-
fused to allow any claims for the desIruc-
ton of property, by the common casualties
T 4 "A. Il i. l. L.,
houses, furniture, &C.; had not this been
the cas-, we raticr think even the dcs-
cendants whose champion " 4 llero's Des-
cendln" aims TO he, would Lave asked
for a few Thousand dollars.
But this Registered State Debt is not re-
compensc for property lost during thc war
except a small portion for boats pressed
into The ser> ice hut il is for money adj
vanccd pre-, ious during aud subsequent TO
the war, in order to carry on The Rcvolu
iiouary struggle. And the ancesiols OF
many of those who now hold these Claims
for money advanced, also lost valuable
property during the war, for which they
This is precisely the difference between
the cases
It's an easy matter to talk in chivalrous
strains Of the deeds of daring Of our faith
ers, and S that blocks Of marble ought
10 rear their snowy heads to heaven, as a
Perpetual loh Ell OF gra Iludr to those who
sacrificed much, aud hled aud suffered for
their country. But this does not pay an
homes oebi is does not meet recognised
claims by liquidation. As we said before,
no man vrneratcs the memory Of the heto's
ol the Revolution more profoundly than
ourselves, aud no man Won do more To-
perpctuaIe a lthai is great, glorious and disn-
lereslei III thei lives aud chara'erhers to
Iemoiest pos''rly, than ourselves, all that i
glorious III their Ives is engraved upon the
hearts of their descendants, and viii con-
tinue to hc engraved there for all coming
time, long after marble shafts have moul-
dered and crumbled To Iuin. Their dee s
belong 10 history, and nothing can cllace
them from The 'ecol ec,uns Of men. Let
us pay the descendants Of Revolutionary
heroes what we sh ud have paid their an
cestors more than half century ago, and
then we can afford, with much more pro-
prety, 10 rear a monumenal pile in honor
OF the hal,owed and gallant dead, who serv
cd their country nobly, and died with all
their counuy's honols blest"
UPThe Boston Post asks why rcduc-
tion of Officers and Salaries are not made
at all the ports in the country, instead of
at the large cities. Why, il is for the
vely best reason in the world AT all
smaller places there are no more officers
employed than are actually necessary, and
their salaries are low enough, in all con
science, now. The extravaganza Is all at
tho Custom Houses Of the large cities,
which are ports of entry.