The Rhode Island Republican

The citizens of Newport were not a little surprised at the arrival of a special messenger from New York, for the purpose of ascertaining the state of health of its inhabitants. Mr. Colden, the Mayor of that city, distinguished as much for his admiration of truth, as well as regard for the health of the city, over which he presides, before he would interdict the intercourse between that city and this town despatched Doct. Wagner to ascertain whether any malignant disease did exist in this place. What the Doctor's surprise and indignation must have been, on his arrival here, where he found scarcely a sick person, we know not. But this we know, at no former period was this town in a more salubrious state, than during the past season; and less deaths have occurred during the past month of August, than in any month of August, in any one preceding year. While the citizens duly appreciate the distinguished politeness and attention of the Mayor of the city of New York, they cannot but condemn, in severe terms the extraordinary conduct of the Editors of the Providence Patriot, who were the first to sound the tocsin of this false alarm. Scarcely a paper in the Union can be opened, but the reader is forcibly struck with the "malignant fever" at Newport—"and one house containing five persons are all dead and the house is shut up." We call upon the editors of that paper to name the house & family thus diseased; and above all the name of their informer. If they refuse this just demand, something more than a mere suspicion, of their veracity, will be entertained. "Truth is the parent of security." Such injudicious alarms being propagated, however innocent the motive, will not be restricted to the United States, but will extend to the continent of Europe, where our vessels and those of the different ports in our neighborhood, will be interdicted all intercourse with the shore without performing a long and ruinous quarantine. When Newport shall in truth be infected with a contagious disease, brought on by excessive heat, then the inhabitants of salubrious Providence may well tremble for their own safety, and cry "infection."