The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-28

of Broad way = (Cheers)- else he'd be In a bro,hel
with pandereTs, procurers, and pimps. TREMENDOUS
cheers2 The great point commended for by the peVps
OF Rhode leland was a universal free suffrage This hsd
been tried in - States out of %. and works well. Thelr
opponents insist on a property qualification; Ana ~ns'
is wealth 7 The sweat OF the poor and the blood OF the
brave. (Cheers) This is the old Federal plan to dis
tract the capacity ofthe people for self government but
stand up against in Let them try it ifthey dare. When
they shall have rolled back the Amazon, and Damned
up with bullrushes, and shaken the Andesto their base
then they may do it, but not before. (Cheers.
Ma. DAWN PARMENrEn. of Rhode Island, rose anil
great cheering and said, Mr.. President and ellow.cii
speaker II am a laboring man and earn my bread by the
sweat of my brow. come not here as the advocate Of
any politicsl party. but as the advocate Of the righlsof
man. | come as a DISTINGUISHED citizen of this republic
TO lay before you a fair and candid statement OF facts as
they now exist in Rhode Island. The present charter
under which that State is governed, is one that was
granted by Charles the second not to the peopie-but
to a landed company in 1868. This charter does not pro
vide the right Of suffrage, but gives power to the com
pany to make as many free Of the company as they please.
The General Assembly Of the State have the powell
deny thatth have the ~right-to make every man free.
The qualification is property, but il is doubly odiouf, be-
cause it requires a particular kind of property. A man
may have $40 600 10 personal property but he has no
or is the eldest son Of such proprietor. and yet in this
State personal property pays all taxes. Fello w'citizens,
this IL not the worst: no man who Is not a freeman or the
eldest son Of a freeman can sill as a juryman, and thus a
portion ofthe constitution which says that every man
shall be tried by jury Of his peers is denied, fer none but
a freeholder can be tried By his peers. Again, a non.
freeholder cannot sue another person for the recovery OF
a debt without the consent and endorsement OF a Tree
holder, nor can he claim the protection of the law
from injury without such consen! and endorsement.
At this moment there are FIVE bushels Of petitions
w wiSSt h have osl Sssn up presented ssso1s the by t ,ss PsSrle' inS eo %haHn
what had been granted by God, and quote the words
Of the Acting President of the United States in his
Inaugural address, when he said that " the right Of
suffrage was the hirthrisht of every American citizen"
stitution, and when the Assembly was called upon to
examine whether the majority ofthe people h%scformed
nifty to inquire, and called upon the freemen-a minority
Of the people-to frame q Constitution for the whole peo'
pie. They did form one odious to the people, which
partially extended the sufrsge--kept up the right OF
Observation-Disclosures citizens born in foreign
lands, although they have to serve in the military and
fire companies-and which put the power into the hands
CT one third CT the people. 1t gave smithfeld, a town
with 10000 inhabitants, the right to elect one Senator,
an agricultural town, and they said the sgriculturalists
ought to have a prepondarance. The people were called
upon to approve ofthis, and in spite OF the indueace Of
the aristocracy, the landlords, the Priesthood-for it was
publicly announced from the pulpit that those were not
christians who opposedit-il1 as rejected the people thus
Assembly now say, that the people having rejected their
constitution, do not want any extension ofthe suffrage,
and they have enacted 3 law declaring II treason in any
constitution, and imposing q hne o. $1,000 and a years
imprisonment on any person who should accept the office
oi moderator, or take votes at the election. They have
nav authorized the Governor to raise q standing army,
and boast that men will come from Boston and New York
to put down the people. FeIlo w.citizens-we do not ask
you for muscular aid-we ask you to decide whether
we have done right or wrong-if right. we ask you to
sustain us in our position. Be not appalled, at our situa.
,ion-we will commit no act Of treason but if one drop
of the blood Of a free suffrage man be shed, il shall be re-
paid by gallons Of those who do SO. The constitution Of
the United States says, that the republican form Of go.
verpment shall be guaranteed to every state, and the
President had batter look to this before he sends troops
to put us down, for our present form Of governments a
minority government. We ask, fellow citizens, for your
sympathies. There 10 q majority OF the people OF Rhode
Island that will die rather than be conquered in their
struggle for freedom They are not unworthy Of your
sympathies. Remember the cause in which they are
The President here read Mr.. Ely Moore's letter ex.
cusing himself on the score OF indisposition, and stating
the grounds on which he would joiH in repelling the use
Of force to put down the peoples constitution.
Major DAvEzAc said, il had been asked to select an oc-
casion inwhich should have greater pleasure in address
sing my fellow democrats, it would have been such as
this, in support Of liberty against oppression. lit is ne.
eessary to show you that Il wa, time to change the ne
was sent out Of the world minus his head, but the one
created minus a heart-the witness is here who could lis
you, Tho is DISTINGUISHED, ostracised, prevented from sit
ting as a juryman. on1 ~notfeel twas time for its alteration
Such things cannot continue, they must cease. You have
heard the appeal Of this eloquent mechanic, and they
are going to hire soldiers. Are we to have more He's.
sian fies7 ! wish 10 900 would come ever. and l would
guarantee that every one would declare his intention
o~fbecoming a citizen of Rhode Island that day Ave years
They say there are no statesmen. Such a man as
to Congress. You are 10 be frightened with the buxbesr
Of interfering with the general government. That 60.
vernmentw would not have dared to interfere, ifthe move
ment had been i'll New York or Ohio, or Pennsylvania,
or any ofthe large states, hut makes a shcw Of energy
when i%thappens in the smallest State in the Union.
Mr. swAcKH.MEn, who was laboring under a severe
cold, shortly addressed the meeting, in which he stated
that he had it from good authority that the letter Of the
President, was written by Mr. Webster, and said that il
would "head himjoff"
The meeting then adjourned with three cheers for the
Peoples Constitution Of Rhode Island.