Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-07-28
MISTAKES ABROAD.

The public journals abroad, some Of them,
through misap apprehension, and some, 1t IS
feared, through design, speak OF those OF our
citizens who have sustained the existing gov
ernment of this State against the forces Of
the insurgents, as "thc Charter party" This
designation would seem to imply that there
| is numerous aud organized boGyof citizens
| in Rhode Island who are desrous and who
are resolved, if possible, to maintain the Char
ter of King Charles the Second. The fact
| il far otherwise Whatever may be the
wishes of comparatively small number OF
individuals, there is probably not a man IN
Rhode Island who hopes to preserve the old
Charter from dcslruction, or who, under exist
ing circumstances, would put forth hand to
save il from destruction. The people of hi,
State have l,vod long under it, free and happy;
but the time for CHANGE has come. Multi
tudcs who have laboreG to bring about this
change, will, ere the lapse Of two years, Ia
menl the delusion under which they have
acted.
Again. The public journals abroud continue
to speak OF the suffrage party and OF the
landholders' party, as II such parties actually
existed IN Rhode Island. This is mistake.
When the so.caled Landholders' Consltu-
tion was framed, the landed qualification was
abandoned, aud a suffrage, free enough in all
conscience, was secured to the people OF this
State. Since that time, there ought to have
been no controversy between parties, IN re-
spect to suffrage and bu, for one man, whose
ambition and vanity would not permit him 10
rest satisfied with an honest triumph, there
would have been none. There is no ground
for such controversy NOW, md lament to
perceive any portion OF our fellow-cltzens
iuip nj h.u nrb ,vhi 10 haa lns ita
orr . .innl meaning.
Agein. The journals abroad appear 10
think that the late strife was between the
existing government and the suffrage party
proper aud that The triumph Of the govern
ment was adverse TO the hopes Of the suffrage
party proper. This opinion Is very far from
the truth. The existing government, in tho
late ilie, sought To maintain itself against
an armed mob, who cared not a farlhing
about FREQ suffrage, who were bent upon
Dlunder. Mr.. Dorr might have carried an
abstraction or two in his head, when he came
to lay his bones upon Acote's hill, and these
distractions he probably carried with him,
when he absconded from hcote's hill. But
the mass of his armed followers were men Of
desperate fortunes and abandoned characters,
who sought only the liberty Of cnriching
themselves, by the pillagc of the good city
OF Providence. The issue was not, whether
We shall abandon The old charter for written
constitution, embracing provisions for FREQ
suffrage and more equal representation
Tint issue, repeat, had already been deter
mined in tho affirmative. Tho true issue
was, shall the laws or the mob rule shall tho
government he changed, ~ accordance with
legal forms, or shall it be ovcrlhrown, with
revolutionary violence, by trained bands of
armed men? That was The only issue. and
that issue, thanks 10 n experimenting Provi.
dence and the stout hearts Of our people, has
been decided in favor of liberty and law.
II Friend 10 az Eriended Suffrage.