Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-03-30

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mriorl,y ~ well as nf tho minority. hoennSc
u, no election cnn It eyer he ascrrrslurd on
which sid, ,he minority is, willsIm lhc.c res.
lrirlinn- IA 10 the TINE and place. and mode
of yn,my. All civilized in,ions have prnc
ticed upou the principle that there can be nv
snch thing a. a maj iriiy unless IL be ina
ioriiy pollcd unh nscer,,rcd by some per.
naucnl law. Il j. absolutely impossible to
proceed upnn any other principle.
Bat even This chldisIi and Visionary theory
duca not help The case Uf those vino rrsortcd
10 iurcc To establish the peoples constitution ;
lur i a majouy possess the right, either
from nature or linplird contract 10 control lh"
ndunrlty by new constitution. 1t must he
ri,niy proved that there was maj"rlty. No
'nnbt Whatever must exist as Ia ihis inci.-
The minority have riabi To n clear eXpr"s'
s,on of the mint of each individual c"mP"S'nG
The mnnri,v This expression Of his mind II
an act 10 BE- periorm' by himself alone
lie cannot nuihori2c another TO express hi
mind for hlm. TIE laws ot al civilized so
ciciIcs therefore require man to poll his own
vote. lie cannot authorize another min I"
vote for him. II there were no other obi"c-
,luns ia The peoples constitution Than that
5000 names of voters were p,lied durIng the
lasl three days by other persons. tor one,
never wunld submit To il. Whoever cXcr-
rIScs any power over my person, by virtue 90
"A constitution ohtninrd by the nbominnbl'
frauds which marked every stag" ui Ms pro-
rrrss. must exercise /, after lllr il extlnct.--
\ hn attempt. directly "r Indirectly, tn "n'orco
a constitution thus obtained. can never sue
.cred until thousands OF men with arms ~
their hands are cut down. Whenever Tho
people at ihls State, 10y fair and free OK
PRECISION of their opinions, shall alter 'hr
present, or substitui" new constitution. ar-
cnrrlng To the established laws, ior one AN
ready Ia submit 10 lis binding power. B"'
4 | had rather siuk with my family h"n"n'h The
smondcrln. ruins ot Rhod" Island, than thn'
one uf ~ should dl-honnr her by base and
cuwardlv submission Ia such manifest frauds
and nndlsgnIscd tyranny.
h Thus much for the past Allow mo 't
pass to The future aud. III glvln. INV oplh'oi
/ of what course the true interests at Kh"d'
|. Island rrouirc every hrnd oi good govern
ncm ,o pursue. | feel 1t my duty I" stat"
expressly ,ha, do not wish or 'xpcct that
any man should b. at all ,nnn"nc"d by my
mere assertion. | should regret The day when
the single opinion OF any man should decide
the vote Of an ind pendent citizen OF Rhode
! Island.
/. What 10 wish is, that every true Trend
|. of republican government VIII calmly ana
/ .dispasSiOna,cly consider :hc reasons which
/ shall GIVE. and then act according t" hlSom u
best Judgment. viii now proceed to giv"
! the principal reasons winch inllu"nc" NY
mind. Thry are NY own reasons. | do mo-
know iha, they viii he accrpiab'" To The IN
Idivnuuls nt the party which shall support
or that th"ir weight and value VIII b" deni"d
! by the opposite pniiv All that do know ~
\ that they are not gwen at toe REQ i"S' or 50
licintIon nf either party, ar oi any inGi'hI'iai
ur either palIy. | ain alone resp"nsIbIe tor
tn" sentiments Of this letter.
From very early period down to the pre-
sent moment, my main hop" ui The dnrahl''y
ola free nov"rnnrn, has been founded IN the
practical uocd sense of the nlddlno classes
of soCicry. While they arc, beyond all con'-
parison, the most useful and indispensable q
classes. they at the same timc suffer most
vitality aud directly from arbitrary govern
men, ON the one hand. ant! trnm anarchy and
confusion nn the other. They constitute ia"
main trunk of The body polite. where ar"
nunl the heart and The other great wat or
uans nf society. In"rc are but few diseases
,o which society is su' j"ct. and none ot u
fatal character that do not tast"n themselves
upon those mann aud vital classes. They are
,hc great proaHciRg classes, The mechanics.
and the industrious laborCrS, and are most
deeply interested IN permanent and steady
4 laws, securing 10 th"m fair equivalents tor
1.-THE fruits of their industry. What they in"S'
desire is To be exempted from the partial
severe md cuactIug laws of nonlcd nrIS-
,ocracy on the ono haHd, and from the IN.
stable and tuuul,uary lc.i-lnion of HE ldlr,
the lunura,t. and the floating part of onr pop.
Iulo,inn, on The other. While II i very natu
raj that the man o. great wealth should con.
4 vince hrnsclf that thnl legislation which m
creased hls influence aud his power, wonId
De most beneficial To s"cIciy, 1t Is equally
4 natural, that The ignorant, the IDLE, ana the
proligale shouId feel that no change could
place lhcm lower down, Gl.d that day change
mlghi raise them higher mp. There always
has been, and always viii be-. a tendency to
draw the rrluS too taught, III ono end oi So
|rIrty, ahd 10 loosen them entirely, III INC
other. As in storm there Is the least In"tioh
IN The middle Of the ship, So IN ir"e govern
rnrns there is The least tendency i9 sudden
changes. IN the middle classes. Ia th0S''
classes has the political power been lodged
during the whole two hundred years OF
Rhode Island history; and challenge the
most ardent admirer ol revolutionary doctrines
to produce a single instance, from ancient
or modern history, of a nation or state whose
affairs have been more wisely. more hrmly,
uI more humlnr1y administered. Some cr.
rors may have been committed, but, II errors
I at all, they were no, on the side of power.
\ bat of humanity. Sour pnr,laIuy may hhv"
\ been ctIuced by those middle classes, but II
was not par'lality that moved mp to tn"
r,ch, bat down Ia the poor, the destitute, ana
the unfortunate.
| The experience OF Rhode Island confirms
the previous experience oi all other nations.
/ d. not remember a single instance, Ia m
cieni or modern times, ~ which power was
not on the whole hnmancly aud lndirlouSly
exercised, so long as II remained ~ The nl''
! die classes nor one ~ which II did not mount
into dnspotsm aud cruelty when exercised
! by the few rich, and IN which 1t dad not end
lin ANARCHY. 'umult aud bIood-h"d, when III
the hand, Of the ldlc aud prohga'c poor.
/ By IDLE aud prolllgatc poor, yon VIII not
understand me tu InCHn that nlI ur even We
mass of The poor are of that character. Bn'
those among ihrm who are idle and prolllgalc
become the pljant tools ola few ambitions
rich. or nf designing office hunters. 30 that
IprdciicaHy speaking, The result most general
! Y Is that the poorer classes, united To a lew
nf The ambnlous rlch, geacraliy nrniraIizr 'h'