Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1844-08-08
Ecf.S<Sp Island.

Frm 1Ir. McClcrnard's statonea'. madcas q NOM
ler of the committee # Coaercss 10 whom the rcman-
strance cf thc twcnty-thrcc member, Of Tire Rhode l.
land Lcgisl oiurc. touching tic n.UrfatiCn III tnat
safe, was referred, 1t appeared that Z majority Il
t~Wo-tllirdS IF the American male citizens Of full arc
and permanent residence in that State, called fora
new constitution, lcine l3.9ii woes in all: that IN
this vote. a ~nrjori,y Of the legally qualiicd vo'er9
under the restricted charter suffrage were included.
being $3.50; and this poll. compared with The Presl-
Dental poll Of l-i0-ihe highest ever given IN tie
State-sl owed q majority # l,-9Sof The legally quail
fed voter, FIR the con -ttution. The name # tie yot-
CT was written On tic back Of the ticket, 30 that fraud,
il any were attempted. could easily be discoyored.and
the polls Vu-rCd e bad vOicS. Put Tie charter gov
ornnent would make NJ such inquiry. Tie Globe. lii
abiding to this matter, remarks very truly as fol-
lows:
There never was Il body 50 deeply interested in
proving The majority obtained for the new con~titu-
ton. to be fraudulent majority. as the charter legis-
laiurc but ii dared not touch tie poll book, and
brng the names recorded upon 1t 20 tie test # quail
fication. The men who had given their ballots. and
had written their names on the back with their own
hand. were within ear shot. and would have pre- sentcd
themselves if their right to vote had been contested.
Afcr tie legislature had refused investigation. the
supreme court-Which was called upon to pronounce
against the cons tuition by the privileged clarer
class-was urged to scrutinizc the suirares upon
which tie constitution rested. and winch they were
.riiipU on 10 CplOlt iii. Inc court REUSED. -Nbiillg
could sir.~ more ccl.~'nsivclv the conviction felt by
tie enemies Of tic popular constitution that it had tie
support Of the LEGAL voter. than dis shrinking If the
cid government from inquiry
They. however. tested the matter in another way.
which was equally decisive. Iiey submitted a con-
stitution e Their own to tie people. greatly lberaliz-
cd in regard to the right Of suffrage. and submitted 1t
e. the popular vote N the hope tat 1t would concil-
ale p majority IN it, fivor. hut q naiorty could MT
10 OLE, nod 10 Vo.o { r II. Tie degU.rltS dgtpatpd
the adoption of tbs constitution.
..Not II u, continues tie Gll 10. the federal ma>tcr,
Of Rhode Island. ofter tbs fl lure. determined that
they would force a constitution On The PEOPLE 10 pre-
vent that under Whicl. Gov. Dor WAS elected from
90 nr into operation. Tsey declared marital law.
held tie vote IN tie presence Of triumphant military
array. backed by tie troops of the general govern
ueat; and then says the representatives If these
%u>urpers IN Congress. (Alr. Potter The norrite>
tlis TINE beng sure # defeat, resolved otahc n Part
IN It. TIE constitution Iropo- ct b. this convention
was al ptcd by the people IN November. lib. and IS
now j. force Dut how was it adopted /! Alr. Ne
Clern3rd tells u IN his statement. thai in September
after. in pursuance Of tic call of the Charter leei~la-
ture. and under The con~tra.n mt Of Martial law. they
ield al. lcr convention 10 ifailc another constitutions:
tie v,te in favor Il which. as appears by tie election
In November after. was 1.,2i-hciae - votes les
than one ialI the number rOiled i1r the peoples con-
s%fitutfon. and about cnc-thlrd { the voting population
Of tie S;atc-ihe residue refusing 10 vote under tie
circumstances THIS POI j. itsclf decisive negative
frosf that tie friends Of tie new constitution were in
a great a majority Is q. first. and yet this vas TIE
final vote which established the existing u>urpafion."
Yet notw thstandng all his. tic democrat, with
Thomas ". Dorr II Their head. are denounced -
ou.vocal tyranny # that minority who forced uron
thcm 4 constitution which had not been Gdslted BIZ
the people. to The exclusion If a c~0nstition winch had
been adcltcd Is tie people.