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

L
law.
we would ask of those who contend that every thing
should remain in this generation, AS came TO from
te preceding one or two stons. Suppose that some
eminent individual In England had been employe ed To
draw up form Of government for the Colony of Rhode
Island ANA that tor the sake of conformity with the in
suuiions of The mother country he had introduced
provision into The Charter to the effect that the offices
oi governor, deputy governor, and of the assistants
shoulu forever De confined To Tine male descendants oil
Arnold, Williams, olney, and the other persons who
were named IN the Charter tv MI them for the first
time. suppose iartber that this hereditary senaet had
mol been abolished ut the Revolution, but that IL had
continued 10 our own time: would you now advocate
u ana So might You not say that 1t established
by the original law OF Il land company >, confirmed
by usage, aud too venerable be disturbed II opposed
to H. would you not say however determined the sena
tors might be never 10 surrender their hereditary prv
leges, hai there ought 10 be aud must be some way of
voling them down! To add one quesl on, What
Is Tie meaning Of the clause in the of The
United STATES which guarantees To each State Repub
can form OF government? Is it not, that
law, nor usage of any State however agreeable 10 the
majority, slalleve be suffered To compel the s
"i minority 10 form Of government in any respect
anepublcan? If the minority in every State bo thus
taken care o most assuredy any of the will
oil the majority not inconsistent with the definition of
atepuDhc VIII DO recognized by the General Govern
ment.
xa, I,,.a ,s s,.a, s to the prescription in
turbed. Al about the comb nj of The Revoluion
the General Assembly manifested aheir sense of Tie
necessity OF some change by the appointment of COM
The State No report, II Is believed was ever made-
Other attempts, both for partial and general reform,
nave Deen unsuccessful and the evils Of the body pol
| itic have been suffered 10 accumulate.
but ought To be borne in mind that no continuance
OF usage, or prescription however long, IMPAIR nor
take away political rights from the people. From the
ancient English maxim, "Time does not run against
the king" erase the word king'' and nse People %
and ou have great and everlasting truth No delay
or hcquiesceDce on their part make il right
govern wrong, or To deprive any of voice In pub
c Affairs, Who Is sufficiently honest aud intelligent
use il well.
We have seen that M ex latin, ia
Tor voters Is Inconsistent with just regard to natural
rghtslhat It Is opposed to the principles ofa Repub
can Covernment-to the real intentions of the founders
of this State to the Declaration Of me IAN
dence,o the spirit Of the Constitution OF the United
stntesto the practice of all the other States, but
That II Is inconsistent with ITSELF and fair in its OPP
Grafton. still farther admitting for sake,
(and God forbid that should ever otherw ise make
the admission, 80 long us we retain any recollection oi
the Declaaton Of independence, and Of the Principles
the Acts and the Men OF the Revouton that there are
natural rights, and that all political power and privi.
ege proceeds from the Government to the People the
present landed qualification Is proved to he highly
necessary and inexpedient. But there many who
capable Of feeling the force OF these objections who
will call them abstract and and that they
want facts. We want them too; and q ask these
objectos to go along with in the search, bearing in
mind, atthc same Time, that the freehold restriction
is in derogatlon OF political rights the burden OF proving
its necessity rests upon its advocates. We have come
| TO the great Issue Of Fact, which we agaE ten
der To fellow citizens, and IL sATe those citizens
who by an extension Of suffrage would be admitted
vote, such class Of persons unified by their
character 10 participate In the political privileges hch
they claim We wish this question To he fairly met -
Enough has been said, In vague and general terms, a
bout unwholesome cit zens" persons To he safe
trusted," without property and vicious, about
protecting the sound part of the community against
those who have nothing at stake in society"-S and
protecting the people against nuders and adventures
from other States" II Is perfectly easy to make this
genera defamation and Il has its natural and
effect upon too many minds. Let those who use this
Language come out and say, they will venture the
seron, that the body Of traders and mechanics aud
professional men, aud Of the
and corrupt persons who are aimed at In these sweeping
denunc ations No others can be meant. They a the
men who unite with large portion of the farming in
| terest in demanding reform.
Shame. then, upon those deamers OF their fellow.c
izens who in the interested defence Of decrepid and
tottering system, resort to this wanon and unmanly
| abuse and disparagemeni, which the daily business
and intercourse Of life prove to be wholly destitute Of
foundation in truth. We shall endeavor 10 show the
people, more in detail, who these are, who
claim the establishment of their just rights and how
many Of them contribute by taxes to the publ ireasu
ry. We invite you, fellow Citizens to 60 along with
us, and to aid us In the investigation.
But there charge made against the friends Of
reform which ought not to be passed by ithout
particular notice. II is said by that they urg
ing on war against proI ery and, stirring up the poor
against the rich. Was there ever a more unfounded
and ungenerous accusation God forbid that should
fall low 10 be capable Of Tesotting this last
and basest expedent of decayed and desperate polite
ians The p"or against the rich In a. county where
all interests and classes combined and interviewer
IN mutual dependence, aud rise and prosper decline
and fall together. Does any seek to take away any
right from others and to appropriate IL III be
time TO throw out such suggestion when Il is made TO
appear that attempt To obtain the exercise OF his
rights is robbery from other people-and not Till then
The subject Of the JUDICIARY, though last IN the
der of consideration, Is not the least in gnitude and
importance. In introducing this subject il is proper
state sin gle fact; and believe that no comment Is
required. The fact Is this that while the
mer0us portion Of the present reemen averse Ia
change In the Judiciary, those who excluded
from The polls are in favor oft.
The Improvement Of our Courts Of law will he an es
scntia provision in any Constitution that may be here