New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-04-07
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
France Rhode Island.

IN reference 70 the late glorious Revolution 10 France No
Republican can for moment hesitate TO approve what
Jon have sad on that subject But Of your readers
would Ike 70 hsve you show them how you reconcile
that revolution with the taken by yourself aud
party in reference 10 The Suffrage Movement, IN Rhode
Island" How Is it th,; Gov. Dorr Is he treated as
feon. and Lamartne and others patriots and philsn
throPis,s The principles and designs not
dssmAr though through the interference Of those who
should have known better, the results quite different
wlyou give US some explanation, and obse yours g..
ROGER WILLIAMS
ReDly-We might very fairly ask our cores
pondent TO establish n clear identity OF principle in
the TWO cases be brings together but we do n tmnd
proving negative to obige him To begin, then
We think the late Government of France was
guilty Of gross treachery to the People who gave
!, being 10 1880 in not extending to them the Right
ofsuHrsge and a substantial share in the govern
ment they had poured cut their blood to establish.
We think it has been faithless and counter.revou-
,ionsry from the death of Casmir Perier down to
the hour Of it's overthrow, and that its frequent
prosecutions Of the Press and its arbitrary suppress
sious Of Reform Banquets were glazing usurpa-
tons We therefore hold that it had forfeited ali
claim 10 power, and most righteously subverted.
the Government Of Rhode Island 1t had ruled
frOgsly, wisely, humanely, justly, its enemies
themselves being judges lSee Bancroit's History,
original edition) 1t had usurped no power but
simply exercised the powers and preserved the
Institutions established when civil government was
6rst instituted in the State. Its original basis was
Freehold Suffrage then the most liberal and de-
mocratc basis Of any government on earth. But
IN process Of time this basis became too narrow
tho People had greatly multiplied while freeholds
bad not and, instead of nearly every man being
ireeholder, scarcely one half were so. Now the
tine had come for an Extension of Suffrage but
the freeholders did not recognize it, and under
successive administrations, first of one party, and
then Of the other) refused to alter the funda-
mental basis OF the Elective Franchise This was
unwise bat it was perfectly legal Does Roger
Williams hold it an adequate provocaton and ex
cuse for civil war and boodshedi We do not.
The advocates Of Extended Suffrage held nmess
meeting. which called Constitutional Convention
Delegates were chosen by gatherings of nonvoters
without shadow of legal authority these Dele
gates assembled in Convention and formed Con
stitntion. That Constitution was adopted, as the
Delegates had been chosen, by popular vote oil
the unfrsnchsed citizens-of course, without legal
authority or any recognition of the act by the old
Government and its supporters. Under this Peo-
pies Constitution, Dorr was chosen Governor by
the voters whom it created such at an election by
it appointed and held by officers of its creation-oi
course, unknown to and unrecognized by the old
Government and its constituency.
Before this new Government was elected and
organized however, but after the Dorr Consultation
was adopted, the old Government or Charter party
became convinced of the necessity OF making con-
cessiOns, and they in legal form framed New Con-
stitution establishing a comparatively liberal
though not universal Suffrage and extending the
same at once, so that the new voters should have
IN equal voice in accepting the Constitution. The
Dorr party usedthe pO'rer thus e6ered them 10 rote
dorm and destroy the Uery Constitution arhlch
granted Il, so as to throw the Law and Order party
back on the old Charter and produce direct col
hsion between the Government based upon it and
that founded on the Dorr Constitution. Thus there
were for time two Governors, two Legislatures,
sc in direct hostility to each others claims and an
appeal to force was the inevitable result. In this
collision the Dorr party We're routed and driven
from the State without loss of blood, their Govern
ment dissipsted and annihilated; and then the
Charter or Law aud Order party proceeded TO
frame New Constitution (much like that which
the Dorr party rejected,) which was accepted, and
is now tho fundamentsllaw Of the State So much
for the facts
The theoretical error of Dorism was the con-
founding of two utterly distinct matters-,he right
of an intoleraby oppressed people to change their
~
necessarily in all men and the right to make
pescefal. legal, organic changes which obviously
belongs to those in whom political power is vested
by the existing constitution 1t may be right that
certain change should be made and yet not be the
right Of the Unfranchised to make it. We, sor in.
stance most ardenty insist that the Blacks of this
State ough to vote the same as Whites but we de-
ny the power of the unfraDchsed Blacks to confer
on themselves the Right of Suffrage, and should If
they Were twice the number ofthe Whites. There
are just two ways Of changing government-by
the legal act of those in whom II vests power and
by Revolution. The Dorr movement. was jumble
Of the two, without the force of Revolution or the
legal right Of Constitutional Reform.
The practical errors Of the Dor men were many
bat that OF voting down the frat Consultation legal
~
they recognized as subssting the power of it's
trainers, and Of course passed sentence Of negiti.
macy on their own Constitution. II they had be !
iieved the latter valid they clearly should not have
recognized and respected another, formed in utter
contempt Of its authority. But in truth they ought
70 have suffered the Law and Order Constitution |
to be adopted and then used the power It conferred
on them to exact further concessions. IL such We're
required. By votiog down that Constitution. they |
plunged the State into civil with the law Of the
laud against them, and proving as deficient IN
pluck as inlogic, encountered a shameful discom-
6ture.
We have thus patiently answered our cores
pondeDts question, in substance for the fifth or
sixth time yet we don't expect that W e have sat
isied those who have not read side of the cues
ton. They will shut their ears and will ask
agaip-very likely within month TEd
I