Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-10-31

| the tdnN, DUl lnIs 'Dhf' Hbi iH"ht II
so. Every body know, Ihal II was not
the paramount law Of ths. land dc jacio
W as /, the paramount law de j0rc ! It's
advocates-say now, indeed, that II was,
because a uaority of the people OF
Rhode Island had voted br il. But To-
this we may rcply, |. 'lhe fact that a
majority did vote for It, las never been
legally asccrtained, aud is more than
questionable. , That 4 is we'll known
that the iu,eG; Of large. nlDhPr- nho
did vote for 1t was. not iq establish It rs
the constitution of ihc Slate, bot slmply
| to record their opinion iu favor of an
Extension Of suffrage and 3. That,
even if a majority had voted for Il with
the intent to adopt it as t constitution,
It would no. have been tie paramount
law OF the land, because here was 30
law in Rhode Island, written or unwril-
ten, which declared the will of the MA
jority Of the adult male population the
supreme law.
Furthermore, the existing public au-
thoritles ignored it, aud It's warmost and
most influential friends dd not hesitate
to acknowledge the LEGALITY Of the eX-
'Isting authorities, by holding seats III
the General Assembly, and participa-
ting in its dongs Mr. AtwiIl, a !e-
gal gentleman of respectable attain
ments, and subsequently Mr.. DORIS at
torney. general, when the question came
up in the Assembly, was unwilling to.
give it as his opinion that the Peoples
constitution was the paramount law Of
the land, and even expressed a doubt to
the contrary. The Whole conduct Of
the Suffrage Party at tie time shows
ihat they entertained the same DOUBT.
The proposition made respectively by
Messrs Burgess and Keech, two Of Mr.,
DORIS friends, to the Assembly, propo-
sitions to abandon, on certain conditions
the Peoples constitution-showed that
it was not regarded by them as having
any legal force F.; for, if they had so re-
garded it, they could moi h;tyc made
propositions for setting il aside, for they
would have regarded such propositions
as reasonable.
But if this constitution was not nj thQl
time the paramount law Of the land, as
it was not, either in fact or IN right, or
even in the estimation of It's friends, the
General Assembly vas in full force a>
the supreme Legislative authority Of the
State. Conss sqnently, It's legal acis
were binding on oil ihc citizens Of The
State. They we're, thea, binding on
Mr. Dorr, aud by doing what it dcclar-
ed to be treason, he incurred the poIni-
cal guilt oftreason, * therefore became
obnoxious to the penalty annexed. -
Now, since nothing can be clearer than
that he is guilty OF treason according to
the laws of his State, there can be no
real sclt-a5asemeut or want Of nanli-
ness, in admitting the fact, by submit
ting to the existing authorities, and con-
seniing to receive u pardon,
We say further, that, setting al! this
reasoning aside, Mr.. Dorr is bound by
his own principles to submit to the cX-
iSting government, and to take the Data
of allegiance. Mr.. Dorr contends that
the majority of The people haze The in
nerent right TO rule, This, with him, is
Il natural right, at least recognized as
such by the American system OF gov
eminent. We, of course, DO not admit
this /; bu, he does, and that l. cnou."
for him. The vii. OF the majority there
fore, however expressed, is the supreme
law. The Peoples constitution was
adopted by the majority of the people !;
therefore it was the supreme law. Iic
was elected governor under that con
stitution, and therefore he was legally
elected, aud therefore was ihe rightiul
governor of the State. BE il so. But,
subsequently to the adoption Of the
People 5 constitution, u majority OF the
people of Rhode Island adopted aEolh
er constitution. This subsequent con
s,itu,ion necessarily oyercarrics the
preceding one. Now, il the will Of the
majority has right to rule, 1t has the
righ, TO rule through this subsequent
constitution ; for this is The latest eX-
preston Of their wiIl. Consequently,
Mr.. Dorr is bound toy his own prlnci-
pies 10 recognize it aS the legitimate
government, aud may therefore take the
oath OF allegiance without abandoning
in the least the principles for shich he
has contcndrd. We are surprised that
he dl not see this, aud avail himself Of
this argument, before his trial; for We
presume that, If he had - done, and
taken the oath, he would not have been
brought to a atlid, at alt.
But VIC have no room To extend our
remarks. We have merely wished.
while expressing our sympathy Win hr.
Dorr, aud our earnest dcslre for hI-
liberation and restoration to hts social
aud civil rights to say woid IN de-
fence of the authpllIcs at IInud" I.land
We believe the government at Rhode
Island ls much illuminated, and that
If the American people irlrly understood
the case, they would hy no means tnl"-
rate The abuse So literally hcJpcd upon
it. For ou"scl,cs, We believe that the
Interests nf humanity ana social pro
rress are fully ~ lkcl, 90 be promoted
by siding with the public authorlucs IN
the legal discharge oi their legal iunc-
tons, ~ with ,hosc y. ho resist them IL
IS not tho par, of good citizens to take
il for granted lha, the government Is
always ia the wrong, and that they who
resist it are always ~ the right "A a
general rule. the Interests ct social and
individual progress and woll-bcIng re.
qurc Us To sustain tho constituted au-
thoriiics, aud dl,rauS Nhon these au-
thorilics keep within the sphere Of their
noutTg