Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-05-27
EXTENSION OF SUFFRAGE.
MR. ATkISsoN-

readers, Of both political parties, b
publishing in your paper, the annexc
extracts from Report Oh the Exteu
sion of Suffrage, made several year
since TO The Legislature Of this State
by Colomittee of which the late Hon
Benz. Hazard was chairman. Their
are many persons who have never reac
that Report, who, since the question o
extension Of Suffrage has been agitated
are desirous of giving it Perusal as
well as many others who have read it,
but wish 10 rc-peruse it at the present
time. A FgleND TO Equal RlGnrs.
"The Committee are confident tha,
they shall express the sentiments Of the
House, when they affirm, that the rish,
OF suffrage, as ii is the origin and basis o
every free, elective government, so is il
the peculiar and exclusive prerogallve d
the people and cannot, without Infring
ing that prerogalive, be subjected TO any
other control than that of the people
themselves. IL representatives Of ihe
of legislation, could assume II control over
this right (; 10 limit, curtaI, or extend it,,
al viii they might, on the one hand +,
disiranchisc any portion they pleased Of
their own electors might deprive them
OF the power ever 10 remove them and
thus reduce the government to a per-
mansn. aristOcracy. Or, should they
take the opposite course, and degrade
the elective franchise, by stripping 1t Of all
Its necessary qualifications and guards );
then, instead Of its remaining great
privilege and security possessed by ihe
sound part of the community it would
become al instrument in the hands of
faction leading siraig ghiway TO anarchy,
and ultimately to despolism. A stale in
which the elective franchise can be thus
controlled by any power but of the peo-
pie, cannot, with any truth, be called re-
publican. Ii is nothing to say That leg
islaiure, chosen by the people, will, it is
IN he presumed, act with discretion and
with view TO the Interests of the people.
S~ may 80 ahsoinin monarch rulo vi.aiy,
aud devote himself To the welfare Of the
state but they are not a free people /
who hold their rights at the discretion Of
others, one or more.
The principle would remain the same,
whether there be written constitutions or
not. The rights of the people are not de-
rived from constitutions, nor are they TO
be encroacbed upon because the people
may not think it necessary To attempt 10
guard them by means Of such instru.
~ ftar all ,l,n.r
iy effect the object for which they are /
intended. They are, on the contrary, \
by false or forced construction, always
perverted TO justify the assumption OF /.
dangerous powers which the people new 4
er meant To graft. Il
We would not be understood as init
mating that this State has no written con-
sttutlon. The instrument which we place
atlhe head Of all our digeSts OF the laws, n
is MT the less our constitution because
i.s name furnishes u theme for cayiilcrs
The people have held II as their consiitu.
ton and have, more than once, mani
ieste I'd their satisfaction with it. II was
framed aud agreed upon, us il purporis
10 have been, by the purchasers, propri-
siofs aud settlers Of the state and its
character, as their work, was rot nj all \
Changed 10y It's having been put into .lhe
form Of n charter. Al that time, the peo-
pie, being colonsts, could not avoid sub
uniting To have The usual reservations.
expressive ol the royal prerogalive, in
grated into 1t but, independent Of these
"pPcndages, It was wholly the work Of
The people, and was purely republican.
HE whole power OF seli-governmr ut was
IN their own hands no constitution, be-
fore or since the revolution, has been
framed, none can be framed, more free
and popular. Our separation from the
mother country perfected this constitu-
lion, by cancelling The conditions and re-
servaIons under which we held il, and
leaving the work OF the people entire. -
Let strangers, II they please, treat this
instrument with lcyity and hold II up as :
reproach to the State, for the sage rea-
son that It was originally called a char
fSr : but let Us continue 10 be proud OF ,,
u, hs u lasting monument Of the free,
manly and enlightened spirit of our fore. /"
i"ihc's, who could, at so early n day, and "
wbile coI"nlsis. i-amc, adopt, and obtain c
NV VI ~ fOtlSlllullbn OI SELL 4,
government - perfectly republican, W
und by which all the natural. civil and a'
tol'iraI rights aud privileges of them >
selves and their posterIly were so amply p'
md completely asserted and secured VI
. ~ u striking evidence Of the stability IN
Il the people Of this State, that they have "
ld been infected with tho rage Of the ~
ines for constitution making aud that
hey have corilnurd 10 hold the wise in s'
ihuii"ns "i their ance ofs in too high 70
esrsci, lightly to change them for new -
'"i"is oi constitutions, which have moth W
Y paCUIia - recommend them, except '"
e unsDbst 'niIal ailurement Of being ~
amed after The revolution. II
The earliest acts Of every society ne 81
ssariiy mark out the tue limits of the u"
sctiys 6snrhise, and designate those ="
'o nss qualified To take pat in the con. Az
II of their afairs. Not women, or mi GU
-. or dependsnts not persons incom- 'o'
epi, or persons having no estates nut y.
se PfopIieio's only sho are concern. ! .