The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-06-01

our gratitude to Mr.. Baylies for his exer-
tions in behalf Of tho Slate is none the
less, for we look upon him as the advo-
cate Of our rights, as well as Of the rights
Of the ireehoiders, although we are de-
prived oil the exercise OF them Rotc, by free
holders I; andwe look forward with the ut
most confidence when these rights will be
acknowledge both as theirs and ours,
and thatat no distant period Of time.
The friends OF equal rights in Rhode
Island, and we trust every where else,
will hencelorth look upon Francis Bar
LIES, US one oi the very few, who practice
what they profess. He believes the
words the Declaration Of Independence,
IAN men are created equal and he prac-
tees on his belief, to the very letter, while
thousands Of pretended and noisy patsiets
in the South and North, are driving round
their black slaves and phite ssloprs, 10 the
tune OF 'Columbia, the land of the frae.,
One of your Commiltee has, seen .
couple Of slaves in Georgis, carrying from
an auction to their nlasser = resid ence, on
elegant copy Of the Declaration OF Inds-
pendence. IN splendid gilt frame, with
these words in bold relief. s. Ne hold
these truths to be seJ-epidsnt, that all men
are creutsd equal; mat they are endoved BY
their Creator with certain unalienabls rights |;
that among these are tfs, liberty, ana the
pursuit q happiness; that 10 secure these
rights, gores5nnents are instituted among
men, deriving then just powers from The con-
sent of.the govsrned.,,N III the meeting will
believs us, the ,ishose ,of the Committee
hay seen sightsstiIl more strange. We
havs seen y n0n-ireehoider in Rhode ISL
aud burn.shmg his gun, whitening hisbelts,
aud fiIIinkhls caflridge box, oil ut his
own exprlIH 10 dete,id the houses and
lands d Rjse State, (where he has
paid tsx( beriormed military service
for years Ast a foreign Toe, or domes-
tic aggressi01 Md at the same moment
the owuerssof f<hOt land, telling him g. he
mas no right to vote ior his officers, civil
or military, because a.man who has no
land, has no patriotism" The only re-
mark we have to make on these two csses
of tile practice under our glorious Declp-
ration OF Independence is, to,ask OF this
meeting and TUG whole world this question
who IS the most to be ,pltied, and who
most despised, the reluctant slave OF ,ho
South, who has no means of redress, be-
cause he is bouId down by the Cons,itu-
ton Of the United States, and by all the
physical force of the several States, or
the willing slave OF Rhode-Island, who
submits cheeriully to his fate, although he
would be supported by the Constitution Of
the United States, and by all the sympathy
and all the physical strength Ut the sever
al States, in any attempts whatever, Which
he might make to guin his liberty; Tor the
Constitution guarantees to each State a
republican form OF government, and ours
Is not SO, SO long as eight taousand govern
twelve thousand.
Your Committee further report, that
they consider nothing efiectual can be
done in this g orious aIsd holy cause, with
out a public press under tie entire con-
troll OF u Committee to be appointed for
that purpose, 81 that we eau lay before
our deeply and long injured dislranchised
fe ellow citlzens, whatever the Committee
shall deem useful IN our cause. In ac-
cordanrc with these views we have issued
proposals and sent them to different parts
of the State, Tor publishing Y Free Sui-
fraee paper, to be called the Political Bal
ance; and some little progress has been
made in getting subscribers. On this
subject we would only remark, that ii
there IL not spirit enough in the twelve
thousand non.freeholders in Rhode Island
to support one paper, while the five thou
sand aristocrals support about twenty, we
may as well abandon our attempts at free
suffrage at once, and instead OF being at
any further expense, in holding meetings
and printing books, 10y out Our loose
change in buying chains for our necks,
hands and feet, as badges Of servitude; no
matter how much the chains gall and
lchafs US, 80 long rs they are golden
!chains. We have mentioned five thou
sand aristocrats. There are twelve thou
sand non-ireeh6ders and eight thousand
freeholders; but about three thousand oi
these last are in favor OF the Massachu-
selts mode of suffrage.
Some curious people moy enquire how
the Committee can use the phrases our
rights, aud our chains,' when three out
of the six of the Committee nrc 'Jisemcn.'
The three Who arc .fieemen,' do not con.
slider their freedom complete, or secure,
until it rests on different foundation than
the mere holding piece OF land. II il
true, young man in health, and before
he has Iamily, can generally lay up O.
nough to make himself freeman; or, IL
other words, ne they say at the South
Jvy his freedom But when the slave.
OF the South buy their freedom once, they
are free for life. Not SO with the whii,
slave Of Rhode Island; for as the tyrar,
Dionysius suspended sword over tn,
head Of DsmocIes, his .nalterer, by sin
gle hair, as an emblem of what tyrants