The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-11-15
NEW SERIES VOL. 1.--NO. Is.

against the civil authorities, and lay the whole
burden of the responsibility for such excesses upon
their shoulders. This is both unjust and absurd
What can three select men do, with power to
arm volunteers with wooden poles, agains, mob
of hundreds and thousands, better armed, and bet
ter prepirad than themselves, and pouring forth
with savage cries to the work Of midnight confa-
grafton!
We can have our choice There is but one al
Tentative before us in this country We can culti-
vate the morals Of our people, and one and all a
gree TO submit to the laws. and if SO we can be
governed by "seect men, On the other hand.
if we intend to neglect the great and accumulaiing
mass which is gathering in our cities, If wswill
give them rum to drink. and in our political con-
tests, iname their passions, and lead them 10 fac
tion, we must give up all hope Of being governed
by select men, or mayors with merely cWl
powers. IL, throughout the community, the Peo-
pie disposed to submit TO the laws; virtue is
cultivated, the temptations 10 vice removed, and
by moral influences pervading the whole mass,
habits of industry, order and subordnalon prevail.
civil authorities chosen by ourselves will be suf-
cent for our purposes. They can lay out roads
and assess taxes, and get volunteers enough armed
with painted poles, to take the most desperate
single criminal into custody. But TO expect that
with such powers our town and city authorities
are clothed with, they can at few hours notice
bring any sufficient force against an ihsurrecton oil
u corrupted populace, is preposterous IN the ex-
treme If we are to have mobs, or mob materi-
ais in our country, we must have something be-
sides select men TO meet them.
Observe the position in which a merely civil
funcionary is placed, in such country as ours,
when mob threatens to break out within his Ju-
risdicton.- If he stretches his doubtful powers
and makes a vigorous effort 10 quell the dlsturl'-
j ance, and succeeds, he is ruined. BY his instru-
: mentality, life has been lost in the crowd, the
n rest dsperse but before he has recovered from the
C excitement Of the occason, the murmurs OF dssat-
If islacton and censure break out all around him.
s.No mischief would have been done, the assem-
bly, was peaceful one,-lhey all came merely as
> spectators would be said everywhere, and
! there could be no reply, for the very decision
X which prev ented the mischief destroyed all posi-
l. tive proof that any was intended. 1t requires
ut greater irmness, and the incuning Of greater re-
- sponsibiliy to come up in the exercise OF doubtful
y powers and take citizen s life in anticipation OF
his committing crime, than civil fuhctionaries can
reasonably be expected to assume. They cannot
be sure tha, there is cause for such measure till
D it is too late. 10 act vigorously such oeca-
al sion, requires military power. 1t is idle TO ex-
pect, that quiet citizen, accustomed only to the
rs gentle contentious of town meeting or commit
@ tee-room, will come up and face, and shoot down
the ringeaders Of mob. IL mean TO havo
work of this sort 10 be done in tlis country, we
must have the right men to do it, not Justices Of
the peace, or citizen soldiers, but regular
troops, ,-men of iron, commanded. too, by one
who has no sympathies and no responsibilities
connected with the community where he ia called
10 act.
t. Ii is idle, therefore, 10 leave the causes which
u produce mobs in full operation among us, and
e then blame our civil mayors and select men for not
= putting them down. We must either remove these
causes, or change our government. live Will
have great Of ignorance and vice among
!" us, we must have military despotism to control
al it, and if we wish to retain republican nsttu-
lc tons and their peaceful administration by civil
E. lunctionaries, we must do something to purify
10 these Masses and check the progress Of ignorance
q, and vice and political passion among the people,
How can this be done
l. We must cease stimulating and corruptine
the physical force Of the community with rum
- If our legislators will sanction tho contnuanee OF
y this evil, and capitalists will import and manu-
TO facture and our traders deal out this poison for
n. the soul, all the community, sending il into
,e every lane and alley and putting the cup TO every
., man, woman and chid who can be brough, ia
take tive must expect to see its effects.
=, 2. Our political leaders must assume different
tone towards another and their followers, anc
wv resort to better measures They must love th'
d. office and THEN party less and their country more
ed Paper money may be more convenient than gold
We but the difference s not worth rendng the conn
try into pieces for. Gold may be more sub
=, stantial circulation than paper, but the advantage
oained. can never counterbaance the evils Of va
W rance strife, hatred and contention. carried tC
H. the very brink OF civil war. We repeat IL, i
ut politicians wish to preserve the peaceful instito
ly tons Of our country, they must love their party.
and their office, or their expected office less, an'
,hei country more. 4 Christians must in
terest themselves ess in the discussion Of ebsrus
nj metaphysical theology ard questions Of mode,a
Sc form among themselves, and turn their a'ton'io
ing more 10 that mighty mass Of irreligon and wee
on which is fast accommodating all around Us, an
which is now under scarcely any religious nfi'
ence whatever. Your neighbor believes the lr
ich i,y. or he does not believe tor he has rot bee
a kaniizrd light. OF he does not haYze hs ehldte