New-York daily tribune., 1842-09-05
Rhose T,,aua and Gov. Hubbard.


King, acting as the Governor OF Rhode lsiaad,
in answer to requisi,ion for the surrender OF
W Dorr, the hero of the Foandry, the Arsenal
and of Chepachef, charged with The crime Of ,re'
son agains, the State of Rhode Island. The cen
s;ituton Of the United States expressly declare,
that person charged with Z" Treason, felony. o
other crime in one State and fleeing 10 another
shall! be delivered up on the requisi,ion ST ii
Governor of the former. This is precisely th'
case which has occurred. DOR / so charged Wit
treason and demanded, yet Gov. Hubbard notorl.
refuses TO surrender him, bur insuingy tells Coy
King that ne is a usurper, and that Dorr IS thc
rightfal Governor of Rhode Island
In taking this course Governor Hubbard piaces
himself directly in hostility to the very 6rst prin-
ciple of American international policy. 1t has
long been our avowed rule to ntermeddle not q
all with the domestic concerns of other commu
mites, but to regard infexibly ,ho Government is
fact of any county as the Government Of right
This great American principle Gov. HQbbard re-
pudates, and proceeds to inquire into and settle
the claims of conflicting Governments in Rhode
island deciding that the Government which is ac
knowledged and obeyed over every foot of hei
soil is no, the Government, but that the State
sovereignty is embodied in one I. w. Dorr, who
has twice run away from its soil as fast his legs
could carry him-who had beea hiding In gros-
shops and by-places for months, until taken unde;
the protecting wing of New Hampshire and whose
rule is not obeyed on q single foot square Of the
carth's surface! If Gov Hubburd's course is cor
rect, it is high time we ceased condemniog and
ridiculing the seeming absurdites of the devotees
of Legitimacy aud the Divine Right in Europe!
Let the partisaas of Don Carlos, Don Miguel, and
the Duke of Bordeaux take courage. Gov. Hub
bard advances to their rescue
Aud now few words in reference to the unda-
mental position OF Gov. Hubbard, and the arg'
men,s by which it is supported That position nj
firms not ouly tie inalienaJls, unlimited risht Of
a majority of the persons composing a commn'i-
ty to change and establish It's Constitution, phc-
cuer or horercr they choose, bu: the farther as
sumption that a simple indication Of their sciN,
no matter how informal actually DOES change or
su6vert any eristing Constitution. According
to our understanding OF Republican principles, ii
majority Of its inhubitants,) should demand 10 be
admitted to an equality with the men in all Political
rights and franchises that demand would constitute
strong reason for such an alteration OF the STATE
| Constitution as would admit them to a partcipa-
ton in those rights. But according to Gov. Hub
| bard, if the Women chose to make the demand.
and should hold Convention, form Constitution,
and adopt it simply by their own votes, (they be-
Ing majority,) then by their sole act the Consti'
tuition would be altered, and hcnceforth the Gov
ernment-Execuive, Legislative and Judicial
existing Under the old Constitution, would become
! a usurpatioa, and he would be required TO dsrc-
gard and scout its acquisitions as mere wsstcpaper
Take another case: The blacks of South Caro-
line are slaves, though they constitute majority
Of the whole population. We believe that slavery
is curse, and that it would be better for al!
classes if they were free. But what then? Can
their own act legally, peacefully, consttutionaly
free ,hem1 Here is the pinch OF the question
not what is abstract right, according TO Governo,
Hubbard's or our way Of thinking, but what Is
constitutional law. AT this moment Gov. Hub
bard will readily give up member OF this snajo-
rity of the People Of South Carslina on the requi-
silion Of the Government of the minority, though
charged only with no other crime than the least oi
Gov. DORIS traasgressions-to wit, running away.
Well: but suppose this slave minority should
lame a constitution and adopt it, abolishing sla-
very and making all equal before the law,
equal participants in the Right Of Suffrage. This
1 .rlt E,tl,i ~
argument. Agreed, say we most heartily. But
scouza 1t change lie constitution Of the Slate ?
Would the present minority (whte) Government
be thereby subyerted-its farther action reviewed
usurpation-its judiciary reduced TO ciphers
I These questions we capnot answer IN the a.arna-
tive, as Gov. Hubbard virtually dees We behave
| the Government now existing in South Caroline
will continue to be the Government, however Gov.
H. or may like its principles, until changed by
those in whom it vests political power, or sub
vcrted by Revolution. Either of these modes we
| recognize and assert If the white male ciizens
SHALL through their Legislature or legally called
Convention, abolish slavery, that will be the end
of it. If the slaves themselves throw it eff BY
force. and by force maintain their freedom that is
the end fit But to say, as Gov Hubbard does,
shat their simple expression of hostility woaid
abolish it, is to render all Constitutions, all Govern
| ments mere breath Of wind to be changed from
hour to heur at the rnetest caprice OF a physical
majority It canno, be that such doctrines will be
deliberately sanctioned by the rejecting American
People. If they are, the days of South american
liberty are rapidly approaching.
The slang abou, g King Charles's Charter, and
the like, is eminently worthy of the school in
which it originates and the demagogue who resorts
to it. Ne man who did not feel the weakness of