Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-10-31
A D y r F S S:
To rus Psnr.s ov ras US,rsp srArys:-

afe induced, tor The PURPOSE of iissbusang
the pnblic mnd, 10 state III" following facts ::
That the people nj Rhudr lsiand. on the
2isi, I'D. aud Odd Of Noyombrr, y. ID Iss2,
adopted n CONSTITUTION oi GovrInnent winch
- now the supreme law Of the State BY
rms Consiliniion, natlvc cnlZ"ns, Of N" Uni-
ted State, who have resided M the State two
yrars, and rW months ~ The town where
they Oif"r 10 vote, aud who have paid tax ~
one dollH'. ar done military duty ior at least
one dny ~ the year next preceding the tune
Ui voting. hbve right tu vote IN the election
of all civil tflicers .Hnl nntOrnlzcd culzcns
who have resided Que year ~ The State. and
sIx months IN The iuwn, ANA are pu~-"ssGd OF
freehold estate ni ihc value oi one hundred
and ihrly four dollars.
= That there was no attempt Ia induce
the Legislature OF Rhode Island To extend
the right OF snflrago. on ,hr pnrt OF lny con
siderable porllOu ot The people. bv peullnn ar
otherwise, before the attemp, Df 7. w Dorr
and otherwise 10 form what they called "tn.
Peoples Constitution Al the Jiuuaiy o.,
.,"n Of thu Legislature. N 1871. a poutinn
requesting al extension of suif,sgo. was pre-
arnlsd. slgnrd hy less ihan SIX hundred per
cons, who ~ theIr prilInu say :--"Yuur pet.
tInnprs would not suggest any system of sur-
~E-ge. hnl would r,ye the M ter 10 the wis
dom Of M l."gislaiure.' 4, mi- session ot
the Legislature. m net wa. passed lur The
puTpusp uf calling Convention. 10 frame
Constitution Cor the State. io meet on the
hrs' Monday OF NoycmJor, 4. y. 1871. b.
fnre Ihls Convention could meet, T.. ". Dur
und cihers IN anticipation at III" ACi'On ul the
consiUutcd auihorllrs, adopted measures Tor
calling thNl Con,cut,nu, WINCH Produced
what they caIrd "lh" Peoples CONSTITUTION" 4"
The tunv"nilnn chosen ~ pursuance Of
The act 80 tie Legislature, met ~ November
A. - iSil and proceeded TO torn Con-
stllullon. They voted to extend the right of
suffrage 10 persons who dId not possess any
rrnl estate; but a. there was much ference
ofoplnlon IN the convention n tu what per.on-
al property Qualifications. il any should be re-
Qnrcd, ,hey adjourned, 10 consult ih.lr con
sliiuents. and for further reflection Until the
lih Of February. A. d. !S42 = fore ihs
nWe, the other Convention, which bad nu Il.
ga au'horry for lis meeting. aud was noj
even Oulhorlz"d 5y The vote Of lar maior'y
"i nc people IN any sense, flushed tGcir
WORK Md sent oul wh!l lh,y chose 10 ca!
"hr People. CoBs,Ilul,nn," to be- voted fur
~ the nnnnrr on6 by such persons as they
r" pleased Io prescribe N DeCrmbpr. \. n
ISL by The some hu'horly ibry declared
ihnt lhel Curs'Iin'lou hod been .dnyieJ Oy
mninuty Of ih' Pcoplr.
1. The legal Couyrn,Inn Iari ngrorahly to-
th' r adj'umm"nI, 10 February, lsi2, and
'ormrd the Io0s'iIution winch the n,rr parlv
~ led "lh' Irnd Holders Conslr'uuou." s.
lhis Con-lrlUllon. na'Ec cr'2pns ot lh' Uni
t"o S,lies who Und r.-iicd two years IN the
S'n'r nud xix months N .hr town wuer" they
II q 90, ,. l. -.
"i,crlon Of ~ civil cfirsr. ThIs Cru,t'u
ton "as submitted 10 the 7ooplr (rr !hclr
approval or rrjcrlirn ON ilc gl,r, % uld
22d, IF March, 4. y. 1912. and al persons
bad r'gh "a vote upon TIE question oi az
prevail OF r"i"ci ,"n. - ho by he provisions al
this Cnn-ru,inn. { adootpd. wuuh be en-.
utlcd 10 the r-hr oi sulirage. THIS Con.'-
tuition WIS defeated hv q .mal' minority t656
by rh" Dorr party, with the AID of those Nho
preferred The Charter of Charos Il. Thp
votes IN fuvor ~ the Constitution were. cob
against \ SOS.
, The Constitution framed by the ora'
Convention, nrylng been ihuI defeated,
node Island remained under that form o'
government nnd,r which she bccnrnn nm in.
dlqrnd"nl State, and nd. picd the Con4rltu
non ~ The Uuli"d Slaje-. which form of
government wa4 ouaf1n'ipd unto Rhode l.
land hy ihn Constitution If The Cuu"d States.
'e"'"~t n! a mpls to oyerturn It 10y luwless
,iplr"-r
q iu,Sc whu had thus -cr no the 30 cal.
! % "r"np.r'- touslr,u'Ion.n resolved that II
Shpuid En Hsn'qrund "hy ali necessary
means o"Hcr'D'y - forcb'v. Under these
'irvun-li#cos, ~" Government ot Rhode
Island orpcrhrGding that the State was about
= he plung INTO all the horrocs %, clvl war.
d""n"d u most proper ~ apply 10 the Gov
Crun"ui u' he United ) uIu~, whn," dutv I,
y. by the Constitution ut the Unir"d SiaiCs,
40 protect rnch state against dru'sIlc viz
IvuCr, IHls application was mndo ~ nvciI
the shedding of blood. aud IN the hope that
when The delulcd citizens Of Rhod" Island
saw that they could not use that violence
which they had threatened. without nvolv.
ing themselves IN n war with the United
States, they would abandon all attempts to
su-inin their Constitution by force of arms
Z. The Legislature ol Rhode Island after
the defeat of the constitution as abuyp stated,
appoln'odA Committee to report n statement
NJ all the important facts CONNECTED with the
formation and rejection. Of this Constitution.
and 10 report whether any legislation upnn
sad subject was ihen necessary. This Com.
miltee made n report which was adopted and
printed by the Legislature. After review
OF the facts the Report closes a. follows
"Wc have seen, on the part Of p orion Of
the free suffrage men, zeal IN opposition TO
this Constitution, which offered 10 them more
than they originally asked, that cannot be
accounted for, upon the principles of interest
and prudence which govern men IN ordinary
tunes. With them. the contest has ceased
20 be for principle II has become a contest
for power not for power under ordinary
Tor the honors or emoumcn,S
OF Office, under the same laws and the same I
government, but a contest for power, IN vjo-
latlon OF every righteous prime pie, 10 the de-.
sruclion OF ell law aud all legitimate
I'VE cannot fer a moment doubt en which
SIDE oil good citizens will array themselves
when such contest is brought to that issue
which Is threatened by those resolutions these
i"inl' men have already passed. THAT
they vii support their Constitution by all
necessary means. and repel force by force.
''rn" luy rttke government ~ most PLAIN.
w" 600" required 10 protect the cIttzen by
lrgisli'iu wb.u iur avs are defective, io
warn 'h" d ,u'rd upw they act, in vlnlaiIon /.
ui th' 'aNs, aod ~ exert the means put into
oar h1ris "a vludIcaie the rights of Tho
nud lu guard the peace and hap.
yurr.s 20 ib. Na'r.
w lh ihl, ,n'N. Vuur Committee recon.
nrrd 10" rIs-a.t. 81 = BIN herewith present
,'. ahlrh. % go. opinion. - necessary tn
ft Tho o. 81 .YIf. e. .,t. tho ttu,.s N.ur