Republican Herald

O— The following is an extract of a letter from an old democratic friend, in Newport. It was not written for publication—but the reminiscences it awakens have drawn it forth—and we know that our correspondent will excuse the liberty we have taken with his letter.

Newport, May 3rd, 1838.

WILLIAMSIMONS, EsQ.

Dear Sir:—I send you enclosed a list of the votes at our late town meeting, thinking you might wish to have a perusal thereof, that you might see where some of your old democratic friends are to be found at the present day. I have examined it with much care, and I believe the statement I have made is conformable to the present times. But let me ask you what a further investigation would produce? Suppose we should go back twenty, or five and twenty years, (and we were both actors in the scenes of those days,) and see what a close and full examination as far back as that time would shew. Can you imagine for one moment that you, myself, or any other person, would have been so imprudent as to have faced such men as J-n Wa. T- G. P—, T C , T—- M—, and T S , with their boys growing up around them, and many others that I could name, who were the Fathers of the Democratic party, in those days, and should say to these men, the time will come, gentlemen, when you, now standing as firm as rocks, in the support of liberty and good principles, will attach yourselves to a party, at the head of which will stand Benjamin Hazard, of Hartford Convention memory! What you may think on this subject, I can easily imagine. For my part, I am ready to declare, that I would not have risked myself in a situation so critical as that would have been, in days that have past. I should have been certain, my escape with a whole head and sound limbs, would have been a miracle. Should we take up the list, and take from the federal voters, men of this description, where should we look for a federal majority in Newport?—The true Republican party have lost all these men—

* Attached to the list are remarks explanatory, with anecdotes, &c. One who had formerly voted with the democratic party, and who held an office—being a leetle suspicious that "our side" would be beaten, withheld his vote until half past eleven o'clock, when he went the "whole hog" for the federal ticket—slap dash! The feds declared it no go. They were willing to receive converts at the eleventh hour—but he was half an hour too late—and was not therefore entitled to "his penny."