Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-04-21

ton or obstruction TO the laws either OF
the United States er any individual
State or Territory, where it is lawful for
the President of the United States to
call forth the Militia for the purpose Of
suppressIng such insurrecion, or Of caus-
/ my INC ,a" ~ ~ "s'y s.S~''s~s, '---..
/ be lawful for him to employ for the same
! purposes, such par. Of the land or naval
I force Of the United States as shall Inc
Judged necessary, having first observed
all the prerequisites Of the law in that res
pect."
/ This is the first occasion so far as the
governmen, Of State and It's people are
concerned, on which il has become nee
essary to consider Of the propriety Of
exercising these high and most impor-
tant constitutional and legal functions. -
BY careful consideration of the above
rcci,cd acts of Congress, your Excellen-
cy will not fail to see, that no power is
vested in the Executive of the United
States 10 antic pate insurrectlonary move
nents against the Government Of Rhode
Island, so as to sanction the intcrpostion
of the military authority, but that there
must be an actual insurrcction manlles-
ted by lawless assemblages of the people
or otherwise, to whom a proclamation
my be addressed, and who may be re-
uuircd to belake themselves To their re-
spcctive abodcs | have, however, to
assure your Exccllency that should the
time arrive, and my lervent prayer is that
il may never come, when an lnsurrectIOn
shall exist against the Government OF
Rhode Island, and requlsltIon shall be
made upon the Executive Of the United
States to furnish that protection which
is guaranteed to each State by the Con
stitulion and laws, shall not be found To
shrink from the performance Of a duty,
which, while it would be the most pain
/ ful is at the same time the most impcra-
! tive.
! haUp also TO say that in such con-
,ingency, the Executive could not look
into real or supposed defects Of the ex-
isling government, in order TO ascertain
whether some other plan of government
proposed for adoption was better suited
! to the wants and more in accordance
with the wishes of any portion OF her
citizens To throw the Executive pow
er of this Government into any such con.
trovcrsy, would be TO make the Presiden,
the armed arbitrator between the people
of the different States and their consti-
tuted authorities, and might lead TO an
usurpcd power dangerous alike to the
stability of the State Governments and
the Liberties of the people. 1t will be
my duty on the contrary, to respect the
requisitons of that government which
has been recognised as the existing Co
vernment OF the State through all time
past, until ] shall be advised in regular
manner, that il has been altered and
abolished, and other substituted in its
place, by legal and peaceabIe proceed
ings, adopted and pursued by the autho-
rites and people of the State. Nor can
readily bring myself to believe that
any sucn contingency will arise, as shall
render the interference Of this Govern
mcnt at all necessary. The people OF
the State of Rhode Island have been too
long distinguished for their love of order
and of regular government, to rush into
revolution in order 10 obtain redress oI
grievances, real or supposed, which a
government undor which their father,
/ lived in peace, would not in due seasog
redress. No portion of her people vii
be willing 10 drench her fair fields will
the blood of their own brethren, in orde
To obtain n redress of grievances whicl
their constituted authorities cannot, 70
any length of time resist, if properly ap
pealed 10 by the popular voice. Non,
of them will be willing TO set an exam
pie, in the bosom of this Union, Of sucl
lrighllul disorder, such needless convul
sions of society, such danger TO life, lib
city ard property, and likely to bring dis
credit on the character of popular go
vcrnmcnls. My reliance on the virtue
intelligence and patriotism OF citizens, u
great and abiding, and ! viii not doub
bat that spirit OF conciliaiion will pre-
vail over rash councils, that all aetua
grievances will be promptly rcdrc' sec
by tho existing Government, aud lho
another bright example III he added Il
.he many already prevailing among th'
North American Republics, of changt
without revolution, and u redress .
grievances without force or violence.
n tender to our ENccllency assuran