Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-09-17

before the tribunals Of the hostile and tri-
umphaRt party. The result is known 10
all-he is sentenced TO ielon's doom. of
solitary confinement for life, at hard labor.
IN the States prison.
And for what? For his simple mainte-
nance of the principle above stated. 1t is
no: denied that his whole course in the af-
fair has been in perfect consistency with
that principle indeed evolved itself,
by absolute logical necessity, out Of that
principle. If that principle was sound, he
was the true Governor of the State, and all
the acts which defeat has made crimes,
were but The impe rative duties of that posi-
ton. Even if he was mistaken in the
principle, 1t cannot at least be questioned
that he was honest, as he was consistent
and unyieding in bis maintenance of j, :;
and involving as It does the highest ele-
men's Of political science and law. in an
absiruse depth which affords ample room
for difference of judgment, what could be
more outrageous than 10 treat as Ignomni-
Gus and objectionable crime such a mere
error of political opinion, attended only by
the actions necessarily consistent with it,
self
Thar this principle should be even sub
Ject OF argument at this day in this country,
would alone be surprising that its asser.
ton should have been SUCCESSFULLY resis ed
and defeated, and its supporters punished
with ignominlous penalties, does indeed
appear scarcely credible. That i, was the
M 10 IL 4
our whole political systematic lus,fca-
ton of the establishment Of our indepen-
dence CT the mother country-and one Of
the leading ideas of all the founders Of our
institutions, and OF the most revered of GU.
snges of public LAWS beyond dispute or
question. 1t is asserted in the Declaration
Of! independence, ard in the Constitution of
twenty of the States of the Union-in the
declaration OF the Convention of Rhode
Island itself called TO ratily the Consttu-
ton o. the United States in 1919. 1t is to
be found IN WashIngton's Farewell Ad-
ress-abundantly in the writings of JEFF
tcrson-ln those of lredelI, Wilson, Pat
tcrson, Marshall aud Story, all OF The Su-
pieme Court-in those OF Madison, Rawle,
Chapman, Johnson, and many others whom
ii were tedious 10 enumerate. 1t was prac-
tlcally illustrated in the formation of our
present Constitution. md in the oi ganiza-
tIon of three Of our States Tennessee, Ar
kansas and Michigan from territories into
States In the Convention that framed the
existing Constitution Of Virginia, a propo-
sltlon to insert Il provision COR a mode for
/ INT
very ground that majority of the people
had the power nj any time. and in any
manner they pleased, to amend ;he Consti-
tuition. or make Il new one and this was
done by the large vote of Is to % the
name of John Tyler being among those
who then asserted the principle of which
he has now been the most fatal foe-to-
gether with those of Madison and MarShrll
And III the present instance, the end for
which tbs great fundamental principle of
American political law and public right
was called iuio action. WAS certainly one
wo thy of The means and the mode. It
was only resortcd TO after u long series Of
trultlrSs attempts through other channels.
None deny III" magnitude al the grievance
few The necessity OF lis redress in one
way or another. The charter party them
selves made full concession of this, bv
their own movement for the extension of
suttragr-uhough made only when too late
20 interrupt the rightful course of the Con-
stitution already voted into validity by the
PEG, lie themselves ; and when made. &C
companied still by cunning evasion of
nearly all substantial benefit in the change
For the assertion Of this principle and
for this object, or rather for having been
dc ieatci by the President and Commander
in-Chiet of the u. States in It's assertion
Dorr is now the inmate of a prison. under
"a sentercc of most atrocious severity and
ignominy, while the memory of Washing
ton is canonized, and the names Of all the
great worthless Of the better days of the
Republic, from whose words and deeds the
congenial pupil learned the noble lesson,
are biazoned with unfading Iustre on the
brightest pages OF our history