The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-07-01
From The Bay State Democrat, June q.

From the Bay State Democrat, June 81.
RHODE ISLAND.
TIE PRIN'CIPLE or FREE SUE
FRRGE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
PROPOSITIONS or TIE CHARTER
P.4RTY-TRAITOR TO THE CAUSE.
In Saturdays paper, we made some remarks
upon the bill just passed by the usurpng Assembly
of Rhode Island from the assembling of Con-
vention to form constitution. There is one iea-
turc of the bill, and very important one, which
we had not time to comment upon--we mean the
apporllonmcnt of the delegates. The landlords
counties of Newport, Bristol, and Washington,
with population of but 81 1916, arc to send forty
one delegates, ust majority Of the whole conven-
ton, while Providence and Kent, with popula-
ton of II ,l6l ARE TO send but hrly-nnc delegates.
Thus, in population Of los, Si7 in tie whole ter
rory, 81 900, which is less than one-hitd, will
have the power to give Constitution TO the other
two-hirds, and establish Legislature on the same
minority basis, which is in about the same proper
ton of the undholders now, who can vote, TO the
whole people who are entitled TO vote. The lrac-
tons left unreprcscn.ed in the seven largest towns,
are II $50, equal to one half of the whole number
required in the three andholders counties to elect
majority of the convention.
Ii will be seen, therefore, that under color OF Civ
ing the people chance to make a constitution the
lundhOdcrs have secured large majority Of the
delegates to the three counties which now have the
power, and thus perpetuated The Onli-republlcan
system of OnG-third ruling the other ,wo-hlrds So
long as the andholders act in this unwise and I'M
just manner towards the people, they must expect
to live in condition of civil warfare, urtil they
entirely conquer or Danish from the territory every
n.ireehoder, or give them equal rg his as men
and citizens
If there are any in Rhode island that profess to
be the friends of the suffrage cause, and yet are
satisfied with this bill then they are no friends to
that cause, and false and recreant to the principles
they have proicssed TO support And there are
such. DUTEE J. PEARCE and five others have
issued curd, in which they say
"lhe late act Of the legislature, providing for
calling convention Of the people, in most Of its
provision meets or cordial approbation,and taken
us whole, will receive our support. We hope
our political friends will give TO it theirs"
These men are, probably, every one Of them
land understand have nothing to gain by the
change in the government, They, probably, pro-
essCd 10 be suffrage men, for the sake ol office,
honors, and emoumcnls, but find that these can
not be got without being earned, they lreacIerous
y desert the party ana a cause, which has The
sanction Of all true friends of liberty, and firm
~ believe, of Almighty God. They have gone
further than 10 cowurdly abandoned the party lhey
have yielded up principles which, had they been
ncn, they would have defended with " their lives,
their fortunes and their sacred honor"
PREPARATION rOH THE CONFLICT,
1t would be useless TO give all the flying stories
in relation TO The present state of affairs in Rhode