The republic., 1851-03-18
General J.m.s.. po.s.io. Dsa..d.

General James's Posi,ion Defined.
The Providence Jo,rnal of the 18th instant
publishes the following letter from BENJAMlN
Finch, esd, which determines very conclu-
sively, we think, in what party we are to class
General JAMES, who has recently been elected
to the United States Senate from Rhode Island:
10 the Editor Of tie Journal:
am one of the Wing members of the General
Assembly who voted for Charles T. James for Sen
ator. have been exposed to much obloquy and
Misrepresentation account Of this vote; and, re-
lying upon the Of others, have patient
y awaited the time when might vindicate myself
before my fellow citizens, and show that acted
from honorable motives, and from sincere dispo-
sition to promote the interests of the party with
which have always acted.
do not propose to enter upon any discussion OF
the state of the Wing party at the time OF
the Senatorial election, nor Of the causes which
made it impossible for them to agree upon a candi-
date for Senator who could command majority OF
the grand committee My object is to defend my
self, not to crminate others. Idesign only to show
that voted for candidate who, if any faith is to
be placed in verbal declarations and written
pledges, is Wing. That Charles T. James had
y
been already stated upon his own authority. He
has admitted the truth of this to me. But although
he had for long timo voted with the Wings, his
receiving the nomination of the Democrats natu-
rally excited doubts of his political position; and
for this reason the proposition made to portion of
the Wings to vote for him not at first received
with much favor. To meet this objection, and to
secure the support of the Wings, without whom he
could not be elected, he addressed the following
note to the Hon. William Sprague, the substance
Of which was communicated to me and others be-
fore voting for him, and on the strength Of which
We voted for him:
s.Hon. WIN. SPRAauE: .a8
"DEAR SIR: In reply to your inquiries, permit
NIT me to say, am in favor of the leading Whig
measures, and particularly that of tariff that
shall afford ample protection to the manufacturing
interests and labor OF the country and elected to
the office of United States Senator, will cordially
use my efforts to sustain them.
As'ps'''0'iy y.cmARIks ead is1.E ySHlsi T. JAMES.
"PRovpENcE, Jan. 80, lS5l."s
In an interview with General James on Monday,
the 10th instant, he fully confirmed the declara-
tions made in tho letter, and gave me the most
positive assurances that he was a Whig, and that
he should act with the Whig party in the Senate
of the United States. He further said that he was,
and always had been, opposed to Dorrism, and that
CdAlo pVht AOf@ W OAAS' AAS oS
vices to the government of his native State in the
struggle with anarchy and treason
/ now fearessly submit to my fellow citizens the
course which have adopted, and the reasons
which led me to it; and which led me to believe
that General James would render good service to
the Whg party and credit to the State in the posi-
ton to which / aided in clecting him.
BENJAMIN FINCH.
NEwpoRr, March l3, 1851.
*[At the request of Mr.. Finch we have examined
the original of this note, which IL written and
signed by General James.-Eh. Jour.]
In connexion with this subject, and on the
principle that there cannot be too much of a
good thing, the Journal takes the liberty to re-
fresh the memory Of its sceptical friends Of the
the Post with the following extract from the
communication of JOHN HOLDEN, WHICH WAS
EXHIBITED TO GENERAL JAMES, APPROVED BY
HIM, AND PUBLISHED WITH HIS APPROPRIATION:
General James, our new Senator, is a WHIG.
He voted for Gen. Harrison for President in 1910.
He voted for Mr.. Clay for President in 1884, In
1848, at the time of the election of the last Pres
dent, be was absent from this State upon Lake
Erie. Had he been here, we assursd he would
have voted for Gen. Taylor for President. He voted
for his present excellency, Henry B. Anthony, for
Governor of this State What better assurance can
any man give of WIG sentiments than these
votes, reaching back for the last ten years?''