Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-10-26


Under this head, the last Hawkeye in
10 leading editorial article contains a col
umn and half evidently designed to cor
red public sentiment in relation TO the
civil death IL Governor Dorr. Cold, heart
less, and vindicii,e, it is but repetition
IL the one hundred and one similar assaults
made by lie Wig press, and by their
Presidential canait!aic, Mr.. Cay, upon a
man whose only crime is, Il at he believed
the declaration Of Independence 10 lie true
''that government are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from the
consent Of the governed; that whenever
any form II government becomes destruc-
tive Of these ends it is the right Of the peo-
PIE to alter or abolish il, and to institute
new government, Sc" Yes, we repeat
Il was for believing, in which large ma
jerity Of the oppressed people Of his State
concurred with him, in tho truth Of the pro-
position laid down in the above extract
from the declaration Of Independence, and
Cor proceeding peaceably to institute new
government in which men and not property
should rule, that Mr.. Dorr has been con-
dcmned to civil death, shut up within
the gloomy walls Of Peniteniiary, clad in
the felon's dress, and subjected to all the
severity and modification Of prison dis
cipline. And his judges safer pronounce
ing sentence upon him, to have been con-
,istent, should have condemned them
selves; for they, ''too were guilty Of just
such treason against that relic Of monar-
chy, King Charles Charter, as was Mr..
Dorr. In truth they were more guilty.
They, with their party-the landholders,
succeeded in destroying it; whilst Gov
ernor Dorr II his attempts to supercede it
was arrested b the Military power Of the
United States, then under the control
Of Daniel Webster, who is understood to
have directed the course of Mr.. Tyler's
administration in regard to the Rhode Is
land affairs.
In speaking Of the charter granted by
King Charles in 1868, the Hawkeye says:
ssno instrument Of its kind was ever more
thoroughly inbued with the pure spirit Of
democracy; and for one hundred and eighty
two years. It was the basis Of govern
nent, which gave perfect protection to
life, liberty and property" In his eu-
iogiam upon the democracy ofthe charter
an question, we think the editor is sadly
II fauit, And does not show that familiarity
with his subject which he usually evinces.
The charter = 1868 was granted by King
Charles IL aleT his restoration, to VIM.
.Brenton and oilers. 1t gave them cor
porate name, and conferred upon them the
right to ''sue and be sued, plead and be
impleaaed, &c kgave them common
zeal, and in short, 1t invested them with all
the powers and attributes Of . corporation;
~ fz
giving the granters power sto choose,
nominale and appoint such and so many
ether persons as they shall think fit, and
shall be willing to accept the same, to be
free Of the said company and body polite,
and them into the same admit" From
which it will be seen that aobody
could Be admitted to the company, or
have voice in its concerns, without
! he consent Of the grantees or corporators.
Il might therefore be called q close corpora
fioacf tie grantees, in the proceedings Of
which no one could have voice without
their consent. In addition to the mere
privileges Of a corporation, the grantees
conferred upon them by the charter all the
powers Of civi government over the colo.
ny Of Rhode Island. ha
On the lth day of May 1864 they es-
i.blished the following rule for the admis-
ssea Of freemen, or rather for the e.rclusion
Of the citizens Of the colony from all par
iicipasion in its government, viz: Il
IN is also the pleasure and appointment
Of this general Assembly, isst none pre-
sssse 10 RUE IN Tie matters aforesaid, but
such whom this General Assembly ex-
ircszly BY thei. writing SHALL admit IS
trccmem.'
This WAS the first rule alop.cl BY the
charter government for The erciusion Of The
cil:seassf Rhode Island from all par,icipa-
Lion in the governments which they we're
snbjees; and The ground Of admission 10
the privileges Of the government was the
arbitrary Will Of the General Assembly 10
be expressed IN writing.
The next rule required that The candi-
dale fur freemanship Should be possessed Of
ttcomreient esiaie"-be Of civil CONVEX
salon, and obsdienl to the civil magistrate.
Here will be discovered the first glimpse
o. The property qualification upon which the
! right o. suffrage was subsequently, based
in Rhode Islcand. and which has resulted
IN = much difficulty and calamity to the