Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-07-08

high-mndeu, ana bonOrab!c man, and
ask, in all candor and sincesty, if the
rights aud privileges of n people tree by
nature, aud free by the laws and con|ii-
tuition of our common country, should be
thus entrusted to chance, ar TO fortune,
or, what is s.ill worse, 10 tho hands OF
political par,isans, to be manufactured at
pleasure into polite al capital, to aid the
cause of aspiring ambition ? Can any
people be safe under sue b. G rcumsta nc ces
Under them, what man that is free to-day
can have the assurance that he will not
be a slave tomorrow? What then re-
mains, but for the people TO resume aud
exercise their original rights, and to
frame for themselves n constitution OF
government, Which shall guard and pro.
rrct them against the exercise Of abb
trury power, by prescribing limits to leg
islaiive action
We feel certain that the (reemen, or,
in other words, the present voters Of the
State, would, sponianco onsly, and without
legal formally, assemble and institute
means OF redress, in case their own rights
were thus invaded. Thus have tho
rights of our disfranchishcd citizens been
invaded, without intermissioD, from the
period Of the American Revolution. As
lar as they are concerned, they have
been the subjects Of continual usurpatioD
and misrule /; and so far have even their
civil rights been tramrlcd on, that, with
out the sanction Of freeman, or land
holders name, as II master vouches for
Ia elau la W
OF permitted TO appear rs parties, 10 nsk
FOR justice at the bands Of u Judicial tri-
bunal. And oil this in the very face of
fundamental political doctrihs Of our na-
tion, that the power is in the governed,
and that from them all the just powers Of
government are derived.
Thus circumstanced, il is quite appa-
rent that the dlsiranclscd citizens Of
Rhode Island, and who constitute "A ma
jority of the whole people, can fnd'no
redress through the ballot box,' from
which, by law, they are excluded.
Nor is il much more likely hat they
will derive il from leg gislaiivo aid, the
nacmbers Of the leg islaiurc beirg eyclu~
sively the representatives. Of the minority
who WELD the power. Nor yet IL there
more to hope from the freemen or land
holders themselves at the polls, unless,
contrary TO what has heretofore happen
ed, majority Of them have become will. \
ing that right and justice should super
cedc the lust of power. The Commit
Tee are happy to believe that very con
siderable change has taken place in this
respect within a short period; and that n
very respectable body of the Iandholdcrs
are now advocates for written conslitu-
tion, to bo framed and adopted by the
people, and liberal and permanent sys-
TEN of suffrage, placed hey ond the reach
Of legislative control or intercrcnce.-
The Committee congratulate the friends
of tho cause on this auspicious clrcum-
stance. Still, it must moi be disguised,
that much yet remains to be done. Il
= The friends Of reform must depend on
their own active energies. The laws
ef the state are against them. The leg
'slaiive authority is against them. The
custom of more than half a century is "a
gaiDst them. And no doubt the opinions,
interest, political aspirations, and the
prcjudices and propose ssions Of a ma 10
riiy of the landed interest, are agains,
them, To the tnnid mind, and to the /
mind that has not inycstig gated the sub
Jcct, all these NAV present a powerful,
hostile array. But, were they ten thou
sand times more powerful even than they
appear, the rights and privileges of u
solitary American citizen, are fully wor-
Thy Of the struggle.
However lorbidding the obstacles that
may present themselves; however dark
and frowning The aspect OF the oppos.
tion-however threatening the arm OF
power suspended over us-they are mere
shadowy and unsubstantial forms; and a
single oct Of the majority Of the whole
people Of Rhode Island, will be found
sufficient 10 sweep them all away. The
People--the "nunc' ical force" have but
~ proclaim their viii, to resume their
original powers, and assert their original
rights. Ii is but for the people to arouse
themselves to action, to array themselves
N the majesty of their strength, and to
speak with united voice.
WE, TIE people, decree Il,
Is legitimate sanction 10 the warrant
that consigns an unequal government to
the grave.
eve, THE PEOPLE" the paramount
power OF FREQ elective government,
have but to speak, and their voice must
be obeycd, for their will is the fountain
Of government and laws owe THE
PEOPLE," are the original d posItory
Of power, and tho only source whence
government derives is sanctions, its
strength, and its support: and govern
ncnt thus framed and adopted, must he
legitimate must rise superior 10 all
oihers-and must be sanctioned aud sus-
tained by our na,ional councils. For,
under the auspices Of a free elective re.
public, based on the great principle Of
natural equality, and of the popular SOW
ereignty, what authority shall inerpose, J,
to defeat the will of the popular majority ;,
expressed in the formation Of govern.
menl M similar principlesi
We repeat, therefore, the people have
but lo pot forth their energies, to resume
AMI exert their original rights and pow
srs, and 10 speak and act-to assemble
or their own accotd-to repudiate the