Republican Herald

Wilkins Updike

This gentleman, as is well known to our readers, was the unsuccessful candidate for a seat in Congress, of the Law and Order party, nominated in convention, and as he possibly may be a candidate on the second trial, we feel bound to state that his political character has been versatile heretofore, and is not now firmly fixed. On the coming in of President Jackson he was a Democrat, and was the candidate of that party for the place of Representative, at the Congressional campaign of 1833. He was badly beaten by his now friends, the Algerines, and at the second trial, two days only before the election was to take place, he bolted the track--the Democrats, at this short notice, presented to the electors the name of the Hon. D J. Pearce, who was triumphantly elected. Soon after this, Updike abandoned his old political friends and associates and went over to the Whigs. By a zeal in their service, which is not uncommon in new converts, he recommended himself to their favor, and was deemed worthy of a reward, which was paid to him in the late nomination by their convention. The election has taken place, and he has been defeated. The people did not give him a call. As he had been sometimes a Democrat, and at other times a Whig, the electors probably thought his claims no better than he thought the claims of those who hold evidences of the old State debt, and therefore they rejected them, as the legislature, under his advice, did the old State notes.

But we have been informed that he has been soured by his failure, and incensed at a suggestion that the law and order party would probably withdraw his name, and put up another candidate in his stead It is said that he told a prominent Democrat he should not submit to that course, and calling his Whig friends by some opprobrious names, which showed that he knew them intimately, said that if they persisted he would leave his party and oppose the new candidate by voting for Gov. Thurston, the democratic nominee. What a threat! Like a two-edged sword, it frightens both parties; but the threat to join the Democrats is severer on that party, than his threat to leave the Whigs is on the latter. Can we not persuade him to perform but one part of his threat, viz., leaving his own party, and to postpone, indefinitely, the other part, viz., voting for our candidate and joining us Democrats? We have had our turn, and he certainly cannot have the cruelty to force himself on us again, so soon, if ever. We hope he will continue where he is; but if that be impracticable, we should prefer that he should form a party by himself and be a candidate on "his own hook" and let the issue be public credit, and repudiation of old debts.