Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-06-02
WHOLE No. 634,

shalt be the last ! part with. And ls,
me here say, have always lived under
this regulation, and among The reoPls
Of that State, aud have never seen tho
young man, who was qualified other
wise by integrity aud intelligence, who
could not command the estate il he wish
ed to vote. All objections on The score
ol hardship, 50 far as my observation
has extended, are nominal, rather than
real. Our ancestors knew The value OF
this notion Of separate, individual prop
! eriy, as an early, but u permanent step
n Of man IN the march of civilization. 1t
endeared 10 him the country, part &c
| which he could call his own. II creates
feeling OF cherished regard to homo
and to country, unknown to the nero
liinorant adycniurer. And | believe II
is III good degree owing TO that feeling
that the people of that State have been
the earliest to engage III their country's
! defence,
!. Much as this species Of qualification
/ is now condemned, and even ridiculed
! by modern theorists, but men with doc
lrlncs of an hour, it is my deliberate
! judgment that the same old qualification
is still best calculated 10 promote tha
/ permanent prosperity Of the people Of
Rhode Island and ii'they we've contcn,
ted with i; | should have no desire to
change il,
I But, sir VIC have no such oyeiwccr-
ing attachment TO our old forms as To
forget that the object Of them was tho
happiness Of the people, aud when they
became dissatisfied and asked for u
change, the Legislature proceeded TO
make the one for which they petitioued.
In January, I84I, upon the petition Of
"A large number Of those who desired an
extension Of the right Of suffrage, since
known as the Suffrage party, the Gen
eral Assembly provided (in the usual
and established mode lnr electing dole-
! gates to II convention TO propose an al
teration 10 the old, or TO iUrin q new
constitution of government for the State,
which was 20 be submitted to the pso-
4 pie for their ratification or re lootion. ~
/ The delegates were elected n. the fol-
loving regular August election in tho
State, TO hold their convention in Mo-
vcmber. After this action on the pare
tillon) which gave the leg islative recog-
milton of making an alteration in the fun
danenlal laws of the State, these same
petitioners commenced action by them,
selves without the authority of law, by
a meeting 10 roast m OK and subsc-
qucnt,y by mass meeting nt Newport,
when committee was appointed ia
carry OF the operations of the party
Tins meeting was composed not eXclu-
sIvcly of citizens Of our own State, but
had itS many sympathi=ers from abroad,
The committee thus appointed called
for the election Of delegates 10 a con-
vention TO meet the mopih prer,ous To
the regular legitimate convention which
had been called by the Legislature upon
the application ofthese men. Such del
cgatcs were elected, not by q majority,
or any thing like it, Of the people whom
they claim had the right to vote, bu,
by the votes Of not much more than a
fourth part of that number. Under
spch an election, the delegates mr,,
framed their Constitution, and submitted
i, not to the people alone which the in
strument itself recognised as the quali-
fled voters under it, but 10 those who
Nigh. vote under il. People Of age and
under age, of all colors aud Of all ma,
tions, who pleased, voted for it : no re7
stralnt is pretended to have been impos,
cd to prevent frauds. 1t is known and
not denied that the numbers which arc
claimed 10 have voted, have been in
leased by the most stupendous 6auda
ever practiscd, in order to make show,
mere pretence of a majority, Men
were allowed, if not induced, TO vote
more than once upon the question OF
its adoption. ! have heard of one who
boustcd that he voted Siriccp Gmes. II
is known that the votes of many mep
were put IN aud counted who Nerp
not within jurisdiction Of the United
States at the time. Such course wns
to be expected under such iEduc smcnis
and temptations 10 fraud. Such arc
known to have been the proceedings
by force of which il is claimed that tho
instrument was adopted which you arc
now called upon TO recognise as the
legal Constitution of Rhode Island, and
without title Of evidence being pres
sentCd that there was single rDiB.
much less a majority Of votes IN bis
favor,
|, agree that evidence OF votes could
give no legal force to a proceeding
which was in all its stages unauthorized
and lawlcss but 10 present u without
such evidence, mingles indecency with
its inherent lllrgalty. Notwithstanding
this unworthy return which wss mads
for the proceeding olthe General Assem-.
bly, upon the application Of large nun,
ber of these men, The legal convention
regarding the many az nislcd by der
signing men, proceeded 10 complete u
Constitution enlarging the right Of sui-
liage IN accordance with The supposTd
views of n large majority OF them and
submitted II for adoption or rejection ia
all who were enliiled by lis provisions
Ia vote under it, Uhe General Assem-,
bly, having 80 authorized by law. )--
This Constitution was generally ncsrp-
tahlp N irsI htt hv tlo nrta aud iunu.