Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-06-03
Comm ElaiicatioU.
RHODE | 81 AND .

This is the wrong time, admit for cool snd
dspassionate review of the connected with tbs
recent outbrea, in Rhode Island but there are cir-
Gums ances attending it. nearly interesting every
State government in the Union, and 50 deeply lnyolv-
ing the perpc.uly Of republication, in distinction
from mob law, that is the duty Of the press speak
out honestly and fearlessy upon the SUBJECT. The
grand substratum upon which are based all the es-
cnsls offered by the reyoluonisis of Rhode lssnd
for their late proceedings is pretended majority Of
the people of the in favor OF the Peoples Con-
stituton" This majority, or pretended majority,
obtaned, it appears, by receiving votes under an or
der issue who the shad w of legal authority,
among people who had livei md then living
I'm an established form OF government, ordained
before the Revolution If l176 we suppose we m 81
say and sanctioned by the acqnescence OF the peo-
pie for co years. The persons who received the votes
were sworn to the faithful and honest discharge Of
their duty under existing constitution and by i1s
j authority of existing lawdeeply interested IN the
even of the contest 10 be decided and bound 10 M
| iegrity by no tie other than the same which all
other laws refuse to recognize cieni in similar
cnses. They were liable to no penny for the fraud
len, ADHESION Of vo'ers vino favored then side Of the
! question, but openly protested to coutenn the only
laws which coul then by any possibility be aimed
to possess binding force in the
Under these circumstances, the farce Of polling
votes gone through with Nobody knew and
nobody cared whether the vote Of each man was poll
ed twenty hundred times at the same election or
only once. Nobody, inclined support the laws.
stopped to interfere in the illegal and farcca proceed
mrs of the mock election, and so, those whose zeal
or lncl Of principle led them entertain an erdent
desire to see the thing called the Peoples Consitu-
ton appear TO ad pied, were left unmatched and
unmolested to follow wherever their zeal their vii
any utlpht Load in tbptr ko
idea Of majority carrying with any legal force,
under such circumstances, too repugnant to the
a common sense of every man who has n rational idea
of the sanctions of law TO lead any not craz.d
or wicked, TO the last 'egiee into Yet under
precisely this state OF things, have large number of
QUEENS of our galan, ii sister State urged On by
= desi ming and AMBITIOUS SEQ ndrels ! y the most
reckless appeals to their preju ices and by he con-
u slant reteraton ofisse Arguments and paqolf else
: no ds, been led from actiors sHd unreasonable
, opposition, step by step to open and ayowtd rre'
ION against the only righul authorities Of bel S,ai',
which could by any possibility be recognized such
Y by the Federal Government or by tina of any sta 70
q n the Tn on. They have been soaded on TO the
verge of paterna boodshed, game the Of lrai
, tors t. their government, and have been put down.
The whole affair is fiji subject for reflection as we
as deep regret-but it i n without its uses. II has
TT produced a startling example Of the depth of degra
a. datioA and yiany into which the feTre, reentle
~ and INSCRIPTIONS spirit Of party is capable Of plung
NJ the human mind. If proof Of this be needed, lei
= us but loo, at the game played by blnd Of reckes'
or and desperate LocofDces in the city of New York
CIV with reference this subject. While the arm OF ht
law the only bulwak of personal or political security
assalod by internal troachery, decided the counte
IL nance and support Of every cd citizen for the main
" tenance OF It's rghtiul ascendancy, and while thu
,al President of the United States reluctantly pre-
vailed anticipate by preparatian the unwelcom
NV contingency in which he felt himself bound to inter
IRE frewhat sort of ectac is presented in the grsa
BY he trt Of the Republic We mob gathered by
Id bevy of unprncipled po,icans, longing for
of political capital, and reckless how II was obtained
and we see that mob thus influenced openly espous
the of revolution, and lion re the sneaking b.
os- wicked coward whose acts had plugged heir fellow
his citizens into the of rebeon If there be roor
u upon the scroll of e'erna Infamy let the vile motive
of these miscreants be recorded, that they may be
Die Damned TO everlasting lsme.n
OF. Upon the meris of the complaint against the pre-
,c,- ent form of government in Rhode Island, we
nothing. 1t enters not in the remotest degree int
the question of the treason of Dorr snd poor duPe
rity 1t is thing to he Tied other principles and
me another way. Fire, let us know whether mad mo
~ or regular government is to rule, and when tn
ques ion is decided it will lie time enough to mesd
OF with the question of the form OF that government