Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-07-05
RHODE ISLAND.


of Representatives made report adverse to the
unconditional Liberation Of Thomas ". Dorr Of
which the following is the substantial part:
sTo what extent an act Of amnesty and pardon for
sonabe offences may made, consistent with the security Of
the law and with the safety Of those great constitutional prn
cpes which the Government and people Of Rhode Island for
years have struggled to maintain the COMMITTEES leave the
wisdom of the House TO determine.
Your committee however, seek disguise for their own
opinions Adopting the sentiments and the language OF the
Newport memorass they deprecate as disastrous 70 oar
prospects orderly and well-regulaed community and
fatal the best interests of the Union ITSELF any action IN
the premises by this General Assembly which would tend to
unsee the great conservative principle established by the re-
the history Of this State Your committee are
of opinion that such would be the inevitable effect OF the UNI
conditional liberation and restoration Of Thomas w DOR
He has appealed from the judgment of the Supreme Court Of
this State higher tribunal at Washington While, there
FORE said appeal remains undecided, your committee IN com
with the Newport memoriass would deprecate any
action in relation TO his which would betray dispst IN
the soundncss Of cause, in the rechudc OF the SUI
preme Court Of the United States In the exercise q his
rights Citizen he has chosen to submit grave questions TO
that elevated tribunal To the full and prompt decision OF
these questions this General Assembly ought IN the opiHion
OF your committee, TO oppose Obstacles calmly 70 await
the decision of the highest Judicial tribunal known to the Con
tuon and the laws of the land, to be the course
which, under existing circumstances, your committee can
most confidently recommend honorable and safe for the
Government and people OF Rhode Island
The above report is signed by WILLIAM q. COD
d.
Der Of the committee, JESSE S. ToURTELLoT, re-
commends the unconditional Liberation of Mr.. Dom
as the best of restoring quiet and good feel
ing amongst the people of the State.
He "does agree" he says, g with the majority Of the
committee that the liberation Of Mr.. Dor Internationally
would be taken acknowledgment the part Of the Lee
gsature that the Government had acted wrongfuy toward
him but the contrary should immediate action be had In
premises such action the part of those opposed to Mr.
Do would rather be looked upon just and magnanmous
Mr. Do does not object to the oath of allegiance required OF
him. by the passed the last January session. from rea
sons Of hostility to present laws of the State but omthe
fact that he should by taking such OATH admit that he had
been guilty Of all that has been alleged against him by his
opponents and would thereby stand condemned before the
world"
Later accounts inform us thatin the Senate of the
same State, on Thursday, Messrs. DIMAN and
SMITH, from the committee to whom was referred
the act OF amnesy &c. the last session, reported
bill providing, first for the unconditional discharge
Of Thomas w. Dorr from prison, and, secondly, for
restoring him to his civil rights upon the condition
of his taking an oath of allegiance before the Su-
4 preme Court. MIR. WEEDEN, from the same COM
mttee, reported in favor Of unconditional liberation
and restoration.
In the afternoon, the question being upon the pas
.Isxe Of the bill reported by majority OF the COM
mi4se, Mr.. PorTra moved to strike ont all after
lfhe enac6ng clause, and insert an act Of uncondi-
ltional liberation and restoration. me amenumeni
was lost by v0tS az IL 70 Is {; and the question
then being on the passage Of the bill, it was carried
/ only one Senator voting against 1t.
4 In the House, in the afternoon, the above bill
having been sent in from the Senate, it passed to a
second reading without debate, and was on the fol-
lowing morning read a third time and passed-yeas
| SO, nays 9.
| And in pursuance thereof, Thomas w. Dorr was
released from prison on Friday on which occasion,
as we learn from the Providence Journal, some of
his friends, who betrayed and deserted him in the
hour of Danger took occasion to manifest their de-
votion to him by firing cannon. They afterwards
formed procession, headed by drum and fife, and
escorted him to the house of Hezekiah Willard.
| This act of amnesty appears TO have been the re-
suit of compromise between the adverse parties.
1t is so drawn as forthwith to discharge from mpr
sonment any person who has beenconvicted of the
crime oftreason against the State, and now in pr
sonunder the of the law provided for such
offence - but nevertheless provides that no per-
son who has been convicted of the crime Of trea-
son in levying war against the State, and is now
under sentence ofmprisonment for the same, shall
be restored to the rights and privileges which he
has forfeited by said crime and conviction until he
shall have taken or subscribed the oath affirma-
: ton hereinafter prescribed before the Supreme
l. Court of this State The oath is to be in the
following form:
81 do solemnly Cor affirm that will bear faith
and allegiance the State of Rhode Island and Providence
Plantations and that will support the Constitution of this
State So help God. Tor this affirmation make and
give upon the peril Of the penalty for perjury
Some of DORIS friends, still preferring agitation
to peace, advise that he should not take the oath
but that restoration party be at once formed, in
order to force further concessions from the Legsla
ture in which, it is to be hoped, they will be dis
appointed. We do not regret the release of Dorr
from Imprisonment; but we undoubtedly should do
so, had not his sentence been sufficiently executed
to vindicate the supremacy of constitutional law.
On this subject we find in the Journal Of Com
merce the following remarks, which copy to show
what is thought upon the subject by those who for
the most part take strictly business-views OF ques-
tons Of this character, without reference to party
"Ths is about the right thins-though regret exceed
ngly that the country to be deprived Of the benefit Of
dca decision the principles Of Dorm by the Supreme
Court Of the United States II there any considerable
number people in any part Of the land who honestly be-
eve these principles be correct il is of great Importance
that the highest judicial tribunal in the nation should pro-
nounce its verdict in the case lest the of Rhode Island
should be acted again. they at time liable to
be- and with more tragca results that other State
But we trust the number of such persons small and Is every
day becoming less And that Dou has been let out of
prison il probable that after the first burst Of patriotism
account of his liberation, neither he his principles will be
much more thought of"