Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-07-01
Address of the State Committee,

FELLOW CITIZENS:
/ The Undersigned, a committee ofthose
friendly 10 the formation Of Il State Cnu-
'tiul'on aud 10 the extension Of SufTi aye
~ tins State, beg leave to address you
Oh the important subject, and To call your
attention 10 some OF the conside rsiions
which aciuaie the friends of refGrn, ~
wei! us 10 the means considered ly theni
/ best calculated To effect tho ultimate OH
Ject IN view. In doing this, it is neither
our intention nor disposition, TO create
feelings OF hostility between our fellow
citizens who may honestly differ froGI
each other on the question of eSpedency
ar political right but 10 excite the pub-
he niIud 10 calm discussion, and rational
investigation beng morally certain that
such "A course will iuIly deveiope The ls-
tlce of our cause, and lead To the CON
summation OF our wishes IN a manner
ihn, shall give universal sai,sfaction.
Il To all who are acquainted With human
character and human passions, il 10 we'll
known that power and pre- -emine nee con-
stliu,e darling objects Of ambition and
that human ingenuity, aided by interest
and pre- possession, and mare especially
sanctioned by custom, habit, and the
force oi education, is seldom at loss for
! the semblance of argument to satisfy us
/ OF our light 10 that which we hold in pos
! session. For these reasons, we can rea.
/ dIly account for the hostility hitherto
manifested by a great proportion OF the
Iandholders of Rhode Island against re-
form in our State Government, aud un
extension of the right OF suffrage, without
altributlng 10 them the unqualified de-
termination 10 act with injustice towards
oihcls. The manner ia which the tetrI-
tory ol the State was originally acquired,
the form OF government estahlished d un-
der the auspices of the British Crown,
the quiet submission oi the people 10 that
form "l government since The American
Revolution, the principles in accordance
with II handed down from generation TO
ccHera'ion, and the firm conviction g!
the friends ii The present system, that It
is most conducive to the best interests of
The State, all operate on The IGndh"lders;
and honestly III most instances we have
reason To believe, they are thus induced
to act against what we deem 10 be tho
rights of others.
That the original coloni-ts Of Rhode
Island, settling on lands they had pur-
chased "a a company, had the incontro-
verilble right, as propnetors under tho
crown, To institute such rules and regnls-
tions for the management Of their affairs
AZ they pleased, and az Ihe grnn, from
the crown permitted them to do il is be-
heved 10 one will deny. And rs al the
period of the revolution no measures
were instituted to change the form to
conform To the change oi circumstances,
and as also the people have hitherto neg
Iccted to. effect such a change, the i'm
,prCssl0r has come down to the present
period, that the original form Of govern
ment still continues IN full force, by vir-
tue Of the right of the original coIonists
To institute it and that it cannot zig h,ly
be changed, but enher by the voluntary
act or least the consent of their success
sors in possession As We ask for moth
ing but the right, permit us 10 examine
this point.
! IL must be rccollected that The original
settlers Of Rhode Island neither claimed
nor exercised any other rights than were
granted aud guaranteed by the British
Crown. Their jurisdiction therefore,
was neither original nor independent; {;
but vas both derived and subordinnte--
aud lis entire force was the royal sane
ton and guaranty. And even their right
to the soil by purchase Of the natives
could have given them no exclusive right
OF possession but by the force Of the roy
al patent. Did the same or siinlanocir-
cuustances now exist, II is readily ac-
knewiedged that the non frecholders
could set forth no legal claim to par,ici-
patton III the government and but two
events, Zone or boih), could occur To ex-
tend to item that privilege, or to lcgaIize
the claim. La the first instance the liee-
men might grant it. In The second place,
the royal charter might be revoked, ar
be rendered null and VOID by lie de-
srluctlon of the royal authority. II cam
not be doubted that, had The entire DrI.
ti>h realm been rsvolutIonized, Instead
of only her American colonies, aud the
declaration OF the universal natural equal
lly of man been adopted as the basis oi
government, the people oi Rhode Island,
IA common with all their fellow c,'iz,rs
OF the nation, would have been thrown
back on their natural rights, and, reile,, d
from their subJeclion TO the royal will,
claimed aud exercised the right TO frame
and adopt government in obedience lo
the will of the majority only. In no
other way could legitimate government
have been formed for the only govern
mental power and authority, except what
originally resided in the people ih"m-
selves, would thus have been nnn'hllni'd.
Such precisely would have betn ihe
character aud effect Of the reyo'n'''
under Oliver Cromwell, had he ana a.s
associates proceeded on the principles
adopted by our revolutionary ia'h'fs.
and such aleo the French revolutions "f
1923, aud 1923. But the American
re,plnIlon produced precisely the state
of annts ~ ~ the rcvolied colonies. NJ
though the king had been driven from
the throne, 10, atty prescribed, monarchy
abolished, all ranks and distinctions A.