Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1851-03-20
Mr.. Lawrence on Oa,h.

tllt!kf -
NIr. Lawrence on Oath.
At length we are enabled to place
befnrc our readers conclusive evidence
upon the mooied question Of the citizen
ship of William Beach Lawrence -
The following article from the Newport
News presents one Of The most extraor-
dinary Developments that We have ever
seen in our political experience. by
this it wi be seen that on the llth
day of Jnly' 1850, William Beach Law
renee made oath that he resided at 20.
i9S Broadway, IN 'he city OF New lork."
Is tins enongh VIII Mr. Lawrence's
oath satisfy his friends or do they
choose 10 90 behind it? Do they mean
20 make him citizen OF Rhode Island
when he says and swe0fs that he was
Oh the lrh day of July IA resident Of
New York
Now we do not wish to say and do
not mean To say. anything disresPccliul
or unkind of Mr. Lawrence We have
repeatedly. during this canvass, cx-
pressed our personal good feeling to
wards him bur we should prove faith
\ less to every Rhode Island sent ment il
/ we failed 10 call the attention of the
electors to lhis most extraordinary pro-
| rcedinr. The more We examine the
more extraordinary it appears. Look
at IL. Here is "A ctllZcn of New cork,
IA prominent member of the Democratic
party. vino har been rep atcdIya can
l dliaIc for olice in the nominating con
vrnlious o! hisowr city, bot who never
| succeeded. wr believe. in obtaining any
nomination probably because he was
/ not bad enough for them. Having fail
ed in his political aspirations there he
comes here on speculation, and at once,
before lie has even acquir,d d legal
citizenship here. with not on y his bus
| mess, his property. his feelings, and his
| :, ,mpalhles, but with his legal residence
in New York, he is taken up and nom
/ mated for the second lace on the Dem
ocralic ticket They did not ask who
| lac was nor where he lived. They as
\ ccrraIncd ouIy this. that he was rich
and liberal. that he would pay; ard IT
he had ju.t landed from Nova Lrmba,
| he might have had the nomination on
! these terms. Has il come TO this 3
| Are the houors and political distinctions
! of this State so cheap that they are 10
he disposed Of in this manner Is
/ Rhode Island To be made "A city of ref
uge for politicians who tail in their as
piralions at home. hospital for political
rncurabIeS
| rhe real purpose of Mr.. L9wrencc is
not TO be mistaken. II does not stop
with the Office of Lieutenant Governor
Of this State. THis is but The stepping
/ stone To his ambition. lie is doubtless
| looking 10 the Senate of the United
/ States or To Il foreign mission, and no
being able 10 get the rcqu lsitr start a
home. he comes here thinking tlat al
though rejected in New York, he viii
be good enough for Rh1Cc Island. i
would have been modest in his party
II wait uIl he had acquired his itIzcn
ship here before they nominated him.
II is sufficiently Illuminating 10 take W
the disappointed politicians oithc neigh
boring states To the exclusion OF Rhode
Island men. Let the candidate, at least
acquire residence before he is place.
AT the head of Il party.
We are quite as much asto' ish d "A
Il the conclusion of the article which ",
copy from the News as at any othe
part of ii. We should not think it pos
|, sihle that after Mr.. Lawrence owI
lcrIa ations, his own OATH any man
least Of all any man acting under tn
responsibility Oi Office, could think OF re
tanning his name on the list. We know
indeed, the Dorrirc doctrine, that "oath
are mere forms" hut we have ncvc
:, understood that this view prevailed /
the Town Council Of Newport. Il
very plain that to keep the name of Nj
, 1 Luwrcncc un the list, after tins, wouI
bu Ia dlscfcdlt his own oath, which "
will not do him the injustice 10 think II
regards as Il 'mcre form"