The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-06-19


change OF our Government, or the aliern.,-
tive, force (or resistancc) makes use of these
as convertible terms and they are such, the
definite meaning of resistance, being the
{" no, yielding to force" or opposing force to
force. And why must force be opposed TO
the execution OF these laws ! because says
the assenlb!age every citizen has right
10 construe the act of the lst of May, 1910"
and :. to govern his conduct accordingly -
and that any law which should have the effect
To make his construction a crime" must be,
not only IN ex post facto act, but " unjust,
oppressive and tyrannical." This doctrinc
OF the right OF every citizen thus finally to
cunstrse law, and to govern his conduct ac-
coydingly, is novel such authority being in
Vested onyssin the Judiciary. If a person
charged With having violated law, has by
due process been convicted thereof and re-
ceived hissentencc this will and ought to
be.carried into effect, his construction of the
law Notwithstanding. 1t often happens that
law in some Instances operates unjustly,and
the effect of it, in such cases, Is usually pre-
vented by petilioning the Legislature, whose
duty it's 10 redress the grievance or, by a
recommendation, (before sentenoe) of The
judicial Court, for pardon of the person con-
victed. Ii all defective laws, are cx post
taoto acts, because In few instances they
may have operated as such, our National and
State codes abound with them and every
Legislature has been Justly chargeablc with
injustice, oppression and tyranny. Many
laws are of great length and inlricacy, and
the construction of them by Individuals may
be right, or wrong, or partaking OF both
these quali,ies,' still these constructions, ac-
cording to tn, opinion of the 4" assemblage"
are TO be so many crilcria for determining
whether the'law Is an eX post iacto act, OF
unjust, oppressive and tyrannical. If every
oilzen (aocording to the declarations rccited)
has right thus TO put his construction on any
law to declare other laws, il opposed 10
that construction, unjust, oppressive and ty-
rannical to preclude by it all the supplement
tary or explanatory laws, of the Legislature,
and 10 resist them by force our constitutions
are nulilies, our constituted authorities are
usurpers, and we are reduced TO state Of
nature.
.again, If our national rulers, are Justly
charged AS 1t Is stated by this assemblage,"
with having passed iyrannical act, and laws
that must and will be resisled they have re-
belled against the Sovereignty OF the people,
are subject TO punishment, and have forfeit
ed forever claim 10 publick confidence.
But il the charge is untoundeG, il they have
conducted agreeably to our National Charter,
(Which Is manifcstly the general sense of the
Datiop) have not those who have denounced
the Government of the United States as OPP
pressNe, tyrannical and unjust, and who
have declared an intention t0.resist the exc
cution of their laws, unwarrantably adopted
measures, tending to excite a spirit of insur-
reotion and rebellion, and TO destroy our in
tetnal peace and tranquility And is it cx-
pccted, that correct and well informed peo-
pie, will rally round the standard Of disaflcc-
ton, hazard their right OF sc.f-goverDmcnt,
which they hold by the Charter of the Con
of nature, and present to the world the un-
parralelled phenomenon, Of a sovereign peo-
pie in rebellion against their own Sovereign
ty 1t is believed the people in general Of
the United States are incapable OF such po-
liticaI suicide. Anc here il may be rcmark-
ed, that the " assemblage" have been lavish
in their cncomiums on Great britain, and i'm
their structures OH france. In respect to the
conduct OF France, no Justification, or even a.
pology will be offered but i may still be in
quired why Great Britain has not availed
proTercd to both, by the liberal act Of Con-
giess of lst OF May, 1910 She has condcm-
ned the French emperor, for not having been
definite in revoking his edic,s and, at the
same time, in every instance, has refused to
revoke her own. II he is culpabIc for not
doing every thing, Great-Byifain is more so
for not doing any thing required by justice.
Why has she not supported her condcmpa-
ton OF him and raised her own fame, by su-
periour acts Of equity and !iberality f!
Is it, because fearful of the competition Of
the United States. she is opposed to a g1nerak
renewal of their commerce Will she only
be satisfied BY mOHofoly OF this Is she not
convinced, that the mutual interests of tho
two nations demand an amicablc adjus,mcn,
Of their differences Our government has
given uncQuivocal proofs of an earnest and
ar dent desire To obtain that object. But, be-