New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-13

The Dorr Question.
The Albany AtLas objects To our position that
only the Legislature Of a State can call Con-
vcntion to fame Constitution. IL soy-,
Whence this exclusive right Of the Legislature
ia obtained, The Tribune docs not tell Oh
course not we supposed every one would u''-
derstand it was obtained from those who mace
them Legislature. As u It's beng exclusive
il seems to be dictate Of common sense that
this power should be exclusively lodged SOM
,Dhere If Providence toxin meeting, called
by volunteer authority, and not even composed
of a majority OF the voters Of that City-in
greater part composed OF those who arc hot le.,'h
voters at all-Inay declare the existing io.m Of
Government imperfect and Invalid, aud summon
the whole State dispensing with The established
qualifications for the Right OF Suffrage 10 choose
on certain day Delegates TO a Convention To
frame new State Constitution, then the citizens,
whether voters or not, Of Newport may make i
similar call, appointing another day, and those OF
Warwick third, and so on. Which Of these
are the People to obey Suppose three elections
friends of each, or Of two OF them, claim to have
secured a majority Of votes for (which would
of course be the case, each holding an Election
by itself, with It's own Inspectors, and prescribing
its own qualifications for yotlng-how would
their conflicting pretcnslons be settled ? Which
shall humble citizen, who takes part with ne-
ther, obey How shall ne guard against incur
ring the penalties Of treason For our own
part. we cannot sec how the fundamental as
sumption OF Dorrlsm can be admitted without a
nractical overthrow of all Government, end the
establishment of the principle that any local
gathering of persons is, for that time and place,
superior to the Constitution and Laws. Lynch
law. the massacre OF Joe Smith, the resistance
Of the mob to the authorities at Southwark, all
appear to be based on this very principle.
We perceive and adm, that laws may be un-
iust-,hat Constitutions may not always be sui
hciently liberal in the distribution OF Political
power A good frame of Government may be out
grown. az the old Charter of Rhode Island was,
which. originally the most democratic written
Constitution in existence, had at last been out
stripped by the march OF Improvement ana tie
change of circumstances. When it was frs,
adopted almost every man in the Colony was Il
f,eeholder. and any man might easily become so
II was unanimously adopted by general assem-
blaze of the People, from which none
cluded. Through nearly two centuries II hao
faithfully secured fc liberty and the pursuit oi
happiness The time had at length arrived for =
changc-and how was that change to BE- effected
We say, through the action Of the State in its
organized, recognized capacity-through Con
vention regularly called by the Legislature.
All. but says our opponent, the Legislature
represent the ldndhoiderS-lhc very men we
wan, to dives, of exclusive powor-and they
won't divest themselves Of their authority w.
rec the force of ths-we adult the difficulty
but we insist that 1t is nat lnsurmountablc by IL
gal and peaceful means. II the non.trceholder>
of Rhode Island had been earnest and nearly
unanimous in desiring change, they would
never have had long to struggle for It. Such
arc the complicated relations between the several
classes-the constant changes from class L.
another-,hat Il steady pressure by the non-frce-
holders would have carried the change IN TWO or
three years. But, though petitions were from
time to time presented for a change, there was
not more than one occasion pnor 10 1910 when
even one halt OF the non-tre,hoIdsrs anitrd IN IN,
call for more liberal basis OF Suitrage 1t would
at least have been easy for the non !reeholdeys t.
have bought freeioids enough costing Sl3G
for each) to have established for themselves
balance of power between the two great 70
litical Parties and compelled an extension OF
Suffrage.
The Albany Atlas, like a correspondent whose
objections have also IN mind, labors under con.
fusion or mistake with regard to Political ishts
as affected by Revolution. We do indeed hold
that peaceful, legal changes of forms OF Govern.
ment can only be made through Elections regu.
larly appointed by competent authority; but we
also recognize the right of i People intoerably
oppressed by usurpation and tyranny to resis, and
overthrow such oppression. But the American
Revolution was not revolt agains, legal author
i,y. Tho Wing Congresses OF l764-S3 were
composed OF Delegates regularly and legally de-
puted by the several United Colonies, and their
Declaration Of Independence was not an act OF
rebellion, like Jack Cade's, or Shays's or the
Whisky Revolt of Pennsylvania. 1t neither