The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1834-07-19
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vvssumeut will ts chsnesd, n spite Of
~ ahs barriers Of slsadsA quaIiGcation.
Whiis they cuntinue intelIi2erss 4 10 -
AanscsssAry ~ ieis upjusa to bsssout the
snaiosify. We Will aga dee any 6attering
<ords about ihs intslIigenee of the peo-
Sls, q is too otlen done, because we
Wvuld nol eacoutage any seit-sstisiaction
on thiss point. Those who now claim 10
As made votess in this Slats wish to see
chs iulslligsn0e grsusly increased. They
wish 70 ses education taken out OF the
range ot declaration and made matter
-0f Tact. They feel confidence nthe
stability Of our Republican government (;
and that it would bs.lreason 10 doubt it.
Their reliance il ON tie effect Of general
~<sducsison. They are anxious to see the
-snesns Of q .cosknon education greatly in-l
creased in Rhode Island, aud are ready
to pay their proportion OF II by Z. poll or
other tax. They will fear nothing for
the country 80 soon as but ANAL fraction
Of the population shall be unable to rsad,
write and cipher, and be uninstructed in1
sshe principles ef common honesty. Let
-those among NJ who fear TO extend suf-
-Erage, on account Of the alleged ignor-
-sncs Of the applicants, lend their aid to
INTRODUCE nm improved system Of Public
schools. They will thus quiet their own
sscruples, and confer an incalculable benz
NJ upon'ihe State. This is the true, pat
riotic, Republican course. We do not
-concsde the name Of Republican to every
one who uses H. He only is entitled to
Ill, in our estimation, who prefers u Re-
public above all other forms of govern
m,snt, who upholds il by his words and
shis example, who refuses its privileges to
mono who are fit for them, who seeks for
MS perpetua.ion ia the increase OF public
visiue and intelligence. u any thing be
wanting TO tbis definition 81 a Republican.
Il will pc sypplied by the addition that
he loves his countFy more than his party,
however h0nest.it may be-.
Further, as Political 10 the only safe
guard of Civil Liberty or, in other words
ms participation in the choice Of those
who make laws are the only security that
ithose laws shall be just aud equal in their
operation, we ask, 10 the civil liberty OF
sshs majority protected ss it ought to be in
s,his Slater "In countries," says an En-
-glish writer, "where man ", by birth or
fortune, excluded from Offices, or from
power Of voting for proper persons to fill
them, that man, whatever be the form Of
.Covernment, or whatever civil liberty or
power over his own actions he may huve,
has no power over those Of another. He
has no share OF. the government, and
therefore has no political liberty al ALL
Every man has an absolute and unaliena-
BILE right to civil liberty; and for the Sc
scuri,y Of il, political liberty should be ex-
tended a. widely as possible. No man
should be excluded from the exercise Of
1t, excepting from circumstances OF una
veidabls necessity. 1t may appear, at
first sight, to no Of little sequence
whether persons in the commoa ranks Of
slifs saioy,any share Of political libestyor
not. But without this, there cannot be
that percussion Of security and independ-
.ence, which alone can encourage man
TO make great exertiona. A man who is
sensible that he is at the disposal Of 9TH
.srs, over whose conduct he has no sort
of control, has always some unknown
evil to dread. He will be afraid Of at
,tsseting the notice Of his superiors, and
must feel himself mean aud degraded
being. But q sense Of liberty, and a
knowledge Of the laws by which his con-
duct must be governed, with some de-
gree of control over those who make and
administer the laws, give him a constant
feeling Of his own importance, and lead
rh.m to indulge free and manly turn Of
shrinking, which will mako him greatly
superior to what he would would have
been under an arbitrary form Of govern
emsnt." This is the language OF for
.sign writer, the subject Of q monarchal
.governmeat. III be sound and Just in
iis Application to 4snch a -goyernmeut, il
has tenfold force in country with insti-
st0iions like our own. We see that q
man may be civilly free and politically a
slave. An absolute despot may dispense
1vise laws 10 his subjects, and maintain
Ahsm with impartiality. 1t is especially
his interest to guard the right of property,
suacs every addition to the national
swsalth adds to MS own resources and to
she ssrength and splendor Of his govern
Beot. But there is no security for, the
continuance Of this protection and it is
in the power Of dsspolic successor to
-oversrn all previously established laws,
- sop the general transfer Of property,
-snd % constitute himself AZ the present
sovsreign Of Egypt has done, the sole
fnerehnnt in his own dominions. Or
course we do not mean 10 intimate that
any similar grsss abuse Of power has ev-
or been Perpetrated in this State; but,
before leaving this part Of the subjet, we
would ask one particular question, name
ay, whether there has ever been any rea-
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