Rhode-Island constitutionalist. [volume] (Providence [R.I.]) 1834-1834, 1834-04-07
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CRANSTON & HAMMOND,
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ADDRESS


idence, on the 22d day Of February,
and again on the 18th day Of March,
1884, to promote the establishment Of
State Constitution.
The following Address was intended
to comprise Review of the Defects of
our present System of Government, and
of the Changes most essential for prop
er correction of those Defects. The
number and importance of the subjects
to be treated of have made it necessary
to extend these remarks to a much
greater length than the Committee would
have desired; but they could not have
been much abbreviated, without injustice
to the Convention and to themselves. In
fact each of the great divisions of the ex-
tensive field of Political Reform ought
to be separately and fully treated, and
would of itself furnish abundant materi-
ais for an Address to the People. The
political evils under which we are now
laboring have been gradually accumula-
ted during long series Of years; and
cannot be properly investigated in hasty
survey. They ought therefore to receive
a careful attention and examination, in
order to insure the application of a judi
cious and effectual Remedy.
FELLow-CITIZEYs,
Agreeably to an invitation from the towns of
Cumberland and Smithfed, Delegates from the fol-
lowing towns in this State, namely, Newport, Prov
idcnce, Smithfeld, Warwick, Bristol Warren,
Cranston, Johnston, North Providence Burrlville,
and Cumberland, assembled in Convention, at Prov
idence, on the 22d day Of the last month, to consult
together upon the best to be pursued for the
establishment of "A written State Constitution; which
should properly define and fix the powers of the diff
fercnt Departments of Government, and the Rights
Of the Citizen.
The Resolutions passed at our first meeting have
already been submitted to your consideration. We
deemed it duty to those whom we represent, to
ourselves and to the body of the people of the State
whose co-operaton we ask to set forth in those
olutions, explicitly, and beyond question misin-
terpretaton, an outline of the proposed Political Re-
form; leaving, where it belongs, to those who may
be hereafter called to the important duty of framing
n Constitution, the task of maturing its provisions
The articles which we have proposed, we are full
" convinced, are indispensable articles in such an
instrument; without which it would be insufficient,
unsatisfactory and impracticabe, e,-defective in the
distribution Of political justice, i'll adapted to the
wants ana leeilngs OF inc peopic, anu Witnout tlc
promise of permanent duration.
II was n duty to our constituents and to our
seices thus freely to utter and set forth their and
our views, sentiments and plans, and to put an end
10 all coniectures about ulterior and concealed in
tentions because we have nothing 20 disguise, nor
conceal, ,-Js0pose change in the order of Govern
men., which we do not believe to be clearly right,
and because we deem it unworthy of men who live
under institutions at least nominaly Republican, ST.
lently to acuuesce in the longer continuance of a
system so defective in its structure, and unequal In
its operation. 1t duty to the people Of the
State to TO them unequivocally the nature
ard extent of those amendments to their present sys
TEN which we offer; especially, to remove every
pretence of uncertainty from that part Of our plan,
which relates to the enlargement of political rights;
and to secure to the great principles Of Constitu
tion the benefits of public attention and mature udg
ment. And we are happy to be assured that the
publication of plan, in its length and breadth,
and all its dimensions, has already had the effect of
overcoming the doubts and objections of many who
were opposed to from an imperfect acquaintance
with our views; and of enlisting their good will
and assistance on the side of Reform.
Having met again, for the second time, in Con-
vention, with the addition of delegates from the
towns of Scituae and North. kingstown, we proceed
fellow-citizens, to state and to enforce, more at
large, those reasons and arguments, by which the
subject of our Resolutions is recommended to the
good sense and Justice of the people Rhode Island
intending to use great plainness of speech, and en-
deavoring, at the time, to present our opinions
as briefly as the extent and Importance of the mat
ters to which they relate will in any wise permit.
There are some preliminary considerations, with
which we would occupy few moments of your |
time, before advancing to the principal topics which
belong to the present examination.
We desire then to disclaim, in the outset, any
design or desire of offering the slightest dsrespect
TO the memory, to the character Of our predcces-
sors, who first established that scheme Of govern
ment, into which we are now anxious to carry the
work of Reformation. IL any pride of ancestry
may he INDUCED in this country the people of Rhode
Island may bonourably exult in those noble forefa-
thers who abandoned their native home, and again,
their adopted land, and encountered the dangers of
n savage wilderness, for the sake Of that great ex-
pertinent Of Religious Liberty, in the blessings of
which all participate. Assembled as we now
are, almost within stones cast Of the ashes Of
ROGER WILLIAMS, that one Of us who should
utter a word of disparagement Of such man. or
his ilusrious fellowpatrots, would feel himself
buked by the Genius of the Place. We revere the
names Of those venerable ancestors. We glory in
our inhertancc and animated as we trust, Ulough
some of us are but the subjects, rather than the
citizens Of a Republican State) by portion of
their own love offrcedom, Of their firm purpose, Of
their jealous and determined perseverance and
resolved to carry still farther into practice the
life and purport Of those principles which they main
tained, al the foundation Of the State, would
ploy our earnest and unremitted excrtions for the