The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-09-20

i oi suffrage there IS no stopping short OF u
! niversal suffrage. In regard to this oh
d lection have only to say that it is refut
o ed by the example of,he other States
q Ofthe thirteen old States, Rhode lslan'
o Is the only one which retains an exclusive
8 landed qualification, and yet out Of thir
! teen only four have adopted universal su
: irage.. In the other nine there are nc
{ complaints, nor is there a desire of great
d er extension. Of the fourteen States il
k which suffrage ID universal, eight are new
= States at the West, and It makes littl,
u difference there whether they have proI
s erty~ qualification or not as TO the number
3 who would he qualified to vote. If you
wee to repeal the provision III those west
ern States for voting upon the plan of u
niversal sutfiage, they would vote just as
,, they do now upon their landed qualiiica-
ton. The farmers of the great State,
have made the political condition of the
country what It now is. Il was the same
in the early times Of this State rs it now
is in the western States. Almost every
one voted, and they who owned no land
owned nothing. The coionists were n
landed company, and they were empower
ed to regulate the admission Of freemen as
they saw tit. For sixty one years from
the date of the charter the law was that all
such persons as have competent estates, or
are meet or serriceabie for to,rn officers
might be admitted trcemen. What these
competent estates were the towns decid-
ed for themselves, until 1874, when, for
al, oh.,,l,,,., l,n,lnI ,,,lik,
cation of one hundred pounds value was
introduced And this exclusive qualiti
cation has the effect now which it did not
then have Of excluding the majority from
the polls. Now sir, all We ask is to bring
the State back to where it was in the time
Of our ancestors, when they solemnly de-
clared that the government Of this State
should be Il Democracy, meaning repub-
lican democracy based on u true and fair
representation Of the people, which it has
ceased to be. But ] am anticipating this
part of the subject wished to put down
this reproach which has been thrown up
on us that we sought to introduc" anarchy
and confusion into the State. With re-
gard to the objects of the members Of the
constitutions patty they have been snl-
fcien,ly explained by the gentleman from
North Providence.
| The gentleman from Newport says that
j. is not our object to have a convention
called to form "A constitution. For one,
| wish TO have Il convention for this pur-
pvse, as much as any other member.
wish to have men sent TO il, chosen by
majority of the people. Am | less friend
ly to it on that account say frankly,
that constitution will not be acceptable to
me as one voter, and ]. will not vote for
it, unless it provides for the establishment,
of at leust one independent court, for e.
quai;zing the representation, and for cx-
tending the right Of suffrage to tax paying
citizens of the State. | will not vote for
any constitution without these provisions. |
There is no concealment about this mat |
tel. All the members Of the constitu- |
tional party in this house, desire to see
fair and liberal constitution for this |
State, and come from what men or party |
it may, they are ready to support it; but
to deserve the name of constitution, it ,
must contain the essentials Of one, und be
Just 10 the demands Of the people.
1t has been attempted to hold up the
idea tha, the constitutional party intend
to force down the measures, they wish to
see adopted, at the point Of the bayonet
and the terrors Of the law Of treason have
been minated to them by one who has
some experience in this matter, having :
incurred the penalties of the cd Section.
With such an example before them, il .
is to be hoped however, that the cons,i-
tu,ional party will be guilty Of no treason
to their state or country. The opinions .
of consr itutonalis,s, on the subjects of OPP
preston and resistance, are those of The /
patriots Of revolution and they ale now |
called the more forcbly to mind by the
near approach Of the anniversary OF that
day, which should awaken grateful rrcol-
lcctions, and confirm patIlotic resolutions.
The doctrines OF those men are not
reasonable nor obsolete, even in Rhode
Island and | do say, that IN this State,
and in every State, wherever the people
arc pressed down to the earth, they have
a right TO redress themselves. l do not
say that the time has now come for them
to do this in Rhode Island. The oppres-
sions of the people in this State are yet
toleroblc they do not wish TO remedy
them by force they wish to employ the
usual and pcaceable remedies which have
been applied in other States, by the iegis-
lntive call Of a contention on fair basis,
which shall lay down fundamental laws
for the government of legislators, as well
as of their constituents. Call this trea-
son il YOU will it is treason against injus-
ticc, sanctioned by time and usage a.
gainst those abettors OF injustice, whose
selfish interests and sinister influence will
be Frustrated by the hund Of political re-
formation.
The difficulties which gentlemen have
on the subject Of the power Of the Assem-
bIy In constitute tho convention different