Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-08-26

I
pledge Of honor is palpably violated erhei
by evading or caDcelling the obligation by
tr Parfe acts. z. II was a national covenant
aud every citizen Of the Union has the rlgh'
10 complain OF lis breach by any State ioI
II n state will violate solemn obligations sii,
Is IN Iouoi and morality bound to fuliiI t"wardi
her own citizens, what confidence or faith 4
10 be reposcd in her public nets, as mcnbn
Of the national confederation 3. III,
DISTINGUISHED citizens oi the State have stil
more absolute right to complain, because
though equally cltizcns Of the Union viii
the land holders, or elected /reemen, and equal,
interested for tho preservation Of their na.
tionul and stote rights, they are deprived @
the privilege Of q voice in the disposal o
either, in violation OF q solemn pledge, il
which they were assured by the declaration
Of the entire Union in general, and of ,hci
own State in particular. they should be place,
on an equal footing with all others. 4. ~
show that all this is solemn reality, IN,
Declaration Of Independence bears the sig
natures of STEPHEN iioPKINs and WILLIAM
ELLgRY, delegates chosen by the land holdert
themselves aud as though to make assur
ancc doubly sure, the State Legislutnr,
chosen by these same land holders, formal
themselves, under OATH BEFORE GOD AM
MAN, to relinquish their exclusive privileges
and TO recognise and carry out the doctrine
Of natural equality. How have these pledge
been redeemed?
70 use paradox, by the deliberate viola.
lion Of every one OF them, for period OF
more than half century
In the fourth place, the invaluable instru.
ment referred 10, recognises, and explicitly
states, the ight of the governed to assume
the defined powers, when those who hold
them in exclusive possession, refuse to yield
or distribute them Without the interference
of legislative bodies, and without the con-
ccssions OF rulers and siecied )reemen, 1t finds
and confirms in the "gorern.d," without dis.
,inctlon the RIGHT, not the acquired prlyl
legc, AS the committee pretended-bu, IN"
RIGnT-ABsoLUTE and INALiENABLE-to al
Ter or dboiish the government and ~ institute
such an one as shall appear 10 them mos,
conducive 10 the preservation of Mer rights
before enumerated. This placed The Rhode
Island charter and government completely IN
the custody of the entire body of The "peo.
pie"-the "goperned". By this solemn act,
the elected .Iretmcn voluntarily relinqulsIIed
their dominant powers; aud acknowledged
the right Of the governed to act for the good
of the whole. This grand consummatIon OF
the great change: This power restored 10
the people. they have never relnqulshcd-
they stl hold-still have the right TO eXcr
else I; TOR no record can be exhibited, Of It's
sure nder by them, nor Of its curtailneni by
others.
But, is the Declaration Of independence
binding oil the State, as fundamental law !?
who will presume to doubt it (? Was it not
the first solemn act Of the American Con
gress, OF strictly national political chnrac-
ter? Was II not designed TO set forth the
principles on which the people Of the Union
acted, and would act, and by which they
were justified in waglng war, offensive aud
Dc ienslve, against that power whose authors.
" over Us had been submitted to Cancel
This doctrine, and you sweep away tho basis
~ the American Republic, show ihnt Great
Britain has been wrongfully deprived Of her
colonial possession, and convert the character
IT our patriots aud heroes of the revolution
% that of rebels aud outlaws; and the rcvO-
ullon itself TO pro,racied scene OF lawiess
obbery, bloodshed, aud carnage. This la~
II equality and popular rights was the first
aw OF an independent people. On II. they 7
erected their claim To the free. On II, alone /.
we're erected, and on it still rest, the free. I,
Iom, sovereignty, and independence Of the I
everal suites. Take away this doctrine of
opulnr equality and you destroy all these,
or they exist entirely with us, as rovoiled
olones, on the principle that every man
hcse states contain, is equal, in civil aud po-
teal privilege, TO the King himself. The
Convention which framed the Constitution OF I
pItal St,tn kpu
epudiate this doctrine. Alexander Hamil |
on, who, in his speech honestly expressed
is wish tba, United States Senate migh !.
c elected by landholdcrs, as an aristocratic |
ranch Of government plainly declared that !
he members of the lower House ought 10 |
e elected by "UyIvERsAL SUFFRAGE !" and I
q went Oh the gIeat principle OF checks /
nd balances, that "if government were in \
he hands OF the few, they would tyrannizc
yer the many-if IN the hands Of the many,
ley would iyrsnnze over the few" The
CIV States generally have recognised the
'git!macy OF the popular will, as expressed
! the Declaration of independence, and the
tates, new and old which have not fully Il
arrcd out the doctrine, are gradually up. |,
roxlmallng TO iis principles. Aud the Con
reSs Of the United States, would no more
are to commit a palpablc violation OF the
Dpular doctrines of that venerated instru-
lent, than OF provision of the constitution
sell. IL Is the fundamental law Ut the \
ind-at least the basis of it. 1t is the life H
nd the soal of the republic, and tho vita
pitt Of "repuLlican form Of gorermnent," +
hlch the constitution guarantees tn every /
tnte--i. c. To the "psopie," or the 'gorerned,"
I every State, aud winch Congress Is bound
y oath TO confirm aud sustain, when appeal
d to by The people or governed, for that Pur
Dse.
We know not how we could place the doc
ines we contend for, in a palmer or more
mple light, or fortify them with stronger
roofs. We believe them Ia be correct, aud
-c perfectly wiling to submit them 10 the
-deal Of tie closest scrutiny.
lp the face Of the committees report NC
'erciore deny that the charter has ever becn
perfected" as u constitution for the State,
! the contrary, we affirm it LOST its only
nctlon by the demise of the royal authori.
:, IN which alone It had and held its being.
&c affirm that, as constitution. it could not
i've been perfected without the formal sane
on OF The people of the State, which II
ever received. We affirm that the dele.
ites OF the elected (reemen who signed the
eclarn,ion OF Independence, did by that act
'clare the charter anullty, aud the govern
ent under It dissolved by setting forth
'c,rines aud rights in direct opposition 10
cir most important and prominent PROV. I
ma md ncta mud fhaf tho .a;d ,