Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-09-22

Loco Foco press habiually resorts 10
Tor the accomplishment of the main pur
pose for which rhe party has embarked
in this agitalon-to wit, the creating oi
popular impression that they are the
friends of Free Suffrage and the Wings
lis enemies. The Government party not
only formed an essentially Free Cunsll.
tuition, but they supported /, with all their
force aud would have adopted IT, but
that the Dorr men rallied all their forces
aud defeated il "a, the Polls by u small
malority-by the votes, too of the very
men To whom il extended the Right OF
Suffrage Ry This intensely iactious
movement intended TO drive. the Gov
crnmeut party back upon the old state ot
things, aud thus enable the agltnlors io
keep up the slang about King Charles =
CHATTER they clearly pronounced their
own Constitution a farce, since tins had
before been adopted, aud, if valid, rem
dcrcd any farther action of the old Gov
ernment of no legal force. Iu voting
down the legal Constitution, the Dorrtes
clearly repudiated their own.
The objections made to the legal Con
sliuron were that it required IA man TO
reside too long in the State before he
became a voter, that It did not extend
Suffrage equally to Adopted and To Ma
tive Cllizens, and that it did not appotion
the Rep Iescnta'lon of the State equally
on the basis of lis Population. To all
these the ready answer H., that they could
have been legally corrected al any time
the People chose, by simple resolution
of those liienGly 10 a change TO vote for
no Members of Congress, State Officers,
sc. who were not favorable To such
change. This would very soon bring it
about, however averse a rotten borough
majority in the Legislature mrght be-.
In all this, we assume the reality ol the
grievances complained of. In most of
the States these OF similar exist or have
existed. vet who has thought of the Dorr
mode of abating them In Virginia at
this moment the Sutl'age is based on
Property and the Representation more
unequal than iha, complained OF in Rhode
Island In North Carolina, none but n
lreeholder may vote for Senators III
these States Loco Focoism has the full
legal power to establish Equal RepIe-
sentalion and Universal Suffrage Why
do not they claim its attention and IT,
sympaihies There the work is easy
without anarchy or violence. 5" in Yer
mont, the disparity Of Representation is
vastly greater than that complained of III
Rhode lsland-a township with twenty
voters having one Representative, while
one with six or nine hundred has no more.
Here II operates in favor of the Loco
Focos, who are stronger in the small
towns than the large ones. Why do they
not start revolution in Vermont II
is most obvious that the evils complained
o in Rhode Island, admitting their reai-
iy, could have been promptly and surely
corrected by adopting the legally formed
Constitution and then taking the proper
steps to amend and change it, That
Constitution more than doubled the legal
voters of the State. Why not secure so
much, including the power TO take more
The answer j. clear: The leaders is
the Dorr movement and their sympathi-
Sers abroad had other and dearrr objects
than that Of securing Popular Consli-
tuition.
The document which the Dorritps
proclaim TO be the righltul and sub>sting
Constitution of Rhode Island originated
~ wholly irresponsible aud irregular
call of n State Convention by men who
had never possessed political power =; the
Convention was chosen at an Election
wholly Unauthorized by law aud urat.
tended, uucountrnanccd by any legal
authority it assembled without legal
authority, framed a Constitution without
submitted it 10 the People of
is own motion, admitted every resident
o vote, held Elections To rarIly it, aud,
when no more People would cnmc and
vote ior 1t sent round aud took their bal.
OTIS. In this way the authorities Of the
State never recognizing nor taking any
part IN the movement, II was declared
o be adopted by majority OF the Peo-
,le that is, Of the male citizens over
weniy Rhode Island, and as
such proclaimed the fundamental law of
he State.
Now the first question Which arises is
rot whether this IS proper and suitable
but-B ia Constitution al
III ? Can the Government of State
,e made or overturned in this way ? IT
/ can, then It is most obvious that all
Constitutions, all Naturalization or Suf- .
rage Laws, are the nerest farce aud
waste paper We talk Of onr Constltu- I.
ions securing to the People this, or lur- \
idding that, but we might as well talk
{ the West wind of this morning srrur-
W a quick passage 10 the vessel which
alls for England or China. Our Chv
ignilaries, especially our exceedingly .
Democratic Mayor, are wont To- talk
,udly of the Chy Charter, To protest I.
galust asserted lnlrnctloDs oi II, and To /.
lam and exercise powers (h"rrlble to +.
rlatc y even under the old R1ydI { har-
p of 1890! But # the Dprr doctrine
. sound, Mass Meeting in the Park
iIght annul both Charters at n breath, N
nd by procuring the assent of n majority n
the residents over twenty.une, adopt .
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