The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-10-28
GOVERNORS MESSAGE-OPINIONS OF
lllE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
On our first page will be found the Message of
Gov, Paine, Doubtless the Gov. and his friends
would take it in dudgeon if we should pass il by in
silence, nor are we disposed to do so, since the
Gov. has chosen to 90 out Of his way to aim
blow at cause which lies near our heat.
1t seems strange that, in this age, ruler of
free people, whose breath is the free air of the
Green Mountains, should become the voluntary
advocate of the ChOa,er party Of Rhode Island aud
the deiamcr of the men and principles of the Amer
lean Revolution The Gov "cannot find words
to express my [hlS sense of the conduct of those,
who, unconcerned in the affairs Of tina, State and
remote from the dangers and horrors OF the scene,
urged on and stimulated her dcluded citizens to
the enactment Of the tragedy which they were so
eager TO wncss;" and we cannot find words TO
express our establishment that Governor of
free, enlightened and patriotic state, like YER
mont, should be so infatuated as to take the
ground of the Message on the Rhode Island qucs-
ton when it is evident that the popular voice is,
and ought to be, so strongly the other way. We
should about as soon think of going back and de-
Tending the cause of the Tories Of the revolution,
or of iorSwcaring OF native land and turning
Turk There is but one poin. in the whole case
upon which the advocates Of the Charter party can
rely, and this is altogether false assumption
The Message says--
"Indeed, in Rhode Island, public opinion had
already produced its effect, and left those, whose
feet were 50 swift TO shed blood, without any
excuse. yBc(ure they raised the standard ofrebelon,
the legislature had caused constitution to be sub
mltteh to the people, which it was fully in their
power to adopt. II will hardly be deemed suf.
ticent answer to this, TO say. that it was not such
in all respects az portion of the people required.
1t went almost the whole extent Of their demands
We are sorry the Gov. is not more correct in his
facts, because if the premises fall the conclusions
20 with them. The course oflhe JI'aichman here
toiOrs, was such that we deemed it Of sufficient
Importance, as long ago as June 4, TO examine this
point The following are the facts as ascertancd
and published in our paper Of that date.
The suffrage convention submitted their Cons,i-
tuition to the people, for their approval, in Nov.
1871, about the time the free holders convention
met aud, without completing their draught, ad.
journed 10 Feb. II, 1912. AT this meeting in Nov.
the free holders agreed upon retaining the landed
qualification for voters, and the privileges of free
men to the oldest sons of lrcemen, with the add-
ton of section admitting those also who should
possess and pay taxes on personal property to the
amount Of $500. On the 18th Of January follow
ing the suffrage convention met TO receive and
count the votes for and against tho new constltu-
ton The result was thai, it was confirmed by
vote of 1894, and was proclaimed to be the Con-
stituiion and paramount iap of the STATE. This
constitution was submitted TO the General Asscmb-
", then in session, IN whom the power 10 define
the qualifications Of voters is vested, and rejected
By u large majority. II was On the Nth of Feb,
just one month after the suffrage constitution had
been ratified and proclaimed, that the Landhol-
ers' convention met pursuant 10 adjournment, and
finally proposed a constitution exendieg suffrage
TO others besides landholders and their eldest sons,
but requiring residence of two years in the state
for non-landholders, and for naurazed foreigners
three years residence and freehold qualification
of Sl3l. And besides, the inequality of represent
talion, by which less than third Of the whole |
population could control the state, was perpetual
ed.
This is the whole of t--and need we inquire if
the circumstances furnish any ground Of ccnsure Of
the suffrage party. The concession Of the Char
ter party. if they amount to anything like what the
Gov represents them to be, come too late, nso- .
much that the suffrage constitution had been adopt
ed, in all the possible forms, one month before the
landholders convention proposed an, hng-which
made it all perfect mockery of The wrongs and in
Justice which the people had been doomed TO en-
dure' Could they have supposed that the suffrage
party would, at that stage OF the matter, recede ;
Indeed, how could they recede, after the people
had solemny, in the only modl, by which they
could obtain redress, adopted constitution We